A whole lot can happen between now and February, of course, but no one can accuse Carroll -- a master at convincing his players to treat each game as equally important -- of not playing the long game. The coach has, in the words of star cornerback Sherman, been "super conservative" with Harvin, finally succumbing to the receiver's extensive lobbying effort to get back on the field, but only on a limited basis. Last week, Harvin made it clear that he felt ready to return to game action for the first time since last Nov. 4, when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that sidelined him for the Vikings' playoff run.