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JimmyNoodles

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    Matt “frat” Stafford.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    I hate to "jump" in here because this conversation seems to be heating up.  My first thought was that his reaction was pretty cold and I think it's hard to argue that it's not.  After reading some comments, I was comtemplating why he might react like that.  I wondered if he's been conditioned to move away from situations (because of his celebrity) where he could somehow be blamed for something going wrong...you know, just distance himself form the whole thing.  

    • Thank you (+1) 1

    Isaiah McKenzie aka, Lil Dirty, sounds like he’s moving on

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

     

    Stevenson?  What has he shown you that leads you to believe he would be an upgrade?

     

    Yeah, he ran a fast 40 time.  But in a short gig of 14 PR and 5 KR over 5 games, he had 2 fumbles and if I'm not mistaken, a couple more muffs.  He also appeared to have no field vision based on his tendency to run into the butts of his blockers, and he didn't appear to play "up to" his 40 time.

     

    Now maybe he's just got a learning curve - I'm sure the Bills haven't given up on him at all.  But I'm equally sure they don't plan to count on him as either a KR/PR or as a slot receiver next season.

     

    I think it's very telling that McKenzie won the KR job back for the playoffs.

     

     

    That's part of it.   But there's sort of a "mystery wrapped in an enigma" about Isaiah McKenzie.  I'm going to muse back and forth here:

    On the first hand, when there's a question about Beasley's availability due to injury, McDermott and Daboll always say that they have "full confidence in McKenzie to run all the routes Beasley runs".

     

    On the other hand, when the rubber meets the road, Daboll's game day decision has been "Beasley with smashed ribs over McKenzie" or "Beasley with broken fibula over McKenzie".

     

    On the first hand, when McKenzie has gotten his chances as in the Miami game 2020 and the 2nd NE game 2021, he has killed it, and his teammates say "no one here is surprised, we see what he does every day" and "on another team, he'd be starting" and "that boy a Problem" and "all he has done is work and put his head down

     

    On the other hand, we have a first-hand report here of McKenzie body-catching balls during warmup before a game, and (I never have gotten an answer as to source) that McKenzie was said to have bad practice habits and be muffing or fumbling in practice.   One can work hard, but not right.  One has to do both.

     

    What's clear is that the coaches (not just McDermott, but also Daboll) haven't seem to trust him completely, and that may be based on something we don't see (practice and meeting room habits).  On the other hand, sometimes (presumably based on practice and meeting room) coaches appear to develop weird fixations on players who can't cut it on Sunday (*cough* Nathan Peterman *cough* Vlad Ducasse).

     

    McKenzie has 100%, beyond doubt improved since arriving in Buffalo.  When he got here, he could NOT run routes.  He could not release against sticky coverage.  He could not make sharp, ankle breaking cuts.  Now he can run routes, and he can release and cut against most DBs.  Add that to his speed, and players have taken note: "(Isaiah) is a real matchup problem.  I won't lie to you, he is." 

    He can't read the defense and find soft spot in the zone or run option routes the way Beasley can; his great game against NE came when they were covering him outside, man2man, and he just ran away from them (then he got some good catches in a later game where they expected that, and he cut and ran a different route, so that isn't all he can do). 

     

    I kind of have the feeling that McKenzie is a handful to coach and at times, his own worst enemy.  He works out like a beast in off season, but largely on his own and not at the high-end "Receiver Factory" /"House of Athlete" specialized places Diggs uses, designed to help him release and cut better and run better routes.  McK said in an interview "I'm just a little guy, I have to hold onto the ball however I can" which could translate to "I'm not being coachable about ball security".

     

    So I don't know.  I don't think McKenzie has necessarily peaked in the NFL.  But I don't know if he's going to invest in himself the right way and perceive what his gaps are and keep growing.  Beane has commented on the need for speed but also to be football players, to have instincts and be able to play; McKenzie has shown he's not just fast, he can ball, No Doubt.  He can block, he can tackle, he can take a hit.

     

    I think there's a double-edged sword for guys who have McKenzie's background, which is having nobody in his corner but himself; he hasn't had family supporting him and finding him extra coaching or elite WR camps or tutors or SAT prep, his grandma was just trying to see that they ate and he didn't get shot.   Guys like that have to be hard-headed and lean into their own sense of self-belief and "against all odds" mentality.  But that also makes it hard to hear coaches who say "you need to do this not that" because you've heard it before and you've flown past it fueled by your own hard work so who knows if they have your interests at heart?

     

    My personal belief is that the Bills should try to re-up McKenzie and offer him a multi-year deal with some signing bonus and with performance incentives, to give him some security to invest in his own skills with high-level coaching.  Go do that hand-eye training stuff that Knox did.  Spend the whole off season at the Receiver Factory.  On the other hand, a lot depends upon how Dorsey and now Brady and Kromer (if he's taking over the run game) see him.  It might be to McKenzie's benefit to go somewhere else, if he wants a chance to start in the slot and they just don't see him as a potential starter.

     

    The NFL right now is a "have and have not" situation.  There are about 32 WR on deals with AAV >$10k.  There are a double handful (~10) guys who are either well-paid specialists like Beasley, or guys on one-year 'prove its' like Sanders. Then there are high-round rookies getting well paid towards the end of their deals. 

     

    There may not be a lot of cap space for guys like McKenzie who have shown they can play when they've gotten a chance, but who are older and haven't established themselves as able to start throughout a season.

     

     

    Interesting musings about McKenzie. I hope they sign him too. The offense runs better with him in there getting some touches IMO. It does seem that McD has a burr up his butt regarding McKenzie so I’m not holding my breath.

    On Stevenson, he can run fast in a straight line. He doesn’t show the ability to evade people. His college tape looks like that too. I know he had a good return in preseason and that raised expectations. I don’t think he makes the roster this year. 

    • Agree 1

    It was a hard loss AND we closed the gap

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, WinterSoldierFamily said:

     

     I don't know what you guys are seeing that I'm not.  Measuring a quarterback is done on many basis, but both metrically and in success Mahomes is ahead.

     

    He is on pace to break every record imaginable, has a SB win and is the same age as Allen.  His trajectory is ahead of Tom Brady.  In terms of slinging the ball Allen might be there with Mahomes but when you look at how players are measured I don't get this take at all.

     

    KC's window is ahead of ours, and will close sooner.  They have big cap trouble through '24.

     

     

     

    Look, it’s a matter of opinion. Mahomes was gifted a playoff team to start his career. Josh had a much tougher road. He has developed into the leagues best player IMO. Winning is a team venture.  The Bills still need work (including coaching changes where needed). 

    It was a hard loss AND we closed the gap

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    51 minutes ago, WinterSoldierFamily said:

     

    Many of you need to stop with this take, it makes our base look foolish.  There is no argument that Allen has eclipsed Mahomes.  They are the same age and Mahomes is trekking towards being the greatest of all time, on pace to shatter every passing record there is in regular season and playoffs.  He has a lifetime of success ahead of Allen already.

     

    Just stop with it, its tiresome and foolish.

     

    Allen may well be the second best player in league and if we can put some better coaching and skill players around him, we will get there.  

    Hardly.  You say it's foolish and then say the same thing.  Allen is better than Mahomes, right now today.  We need a better TEAM.  

    Missing Out on Top Seed Was a Blessing in Disguise

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    During last nights game they showed a graphic that for the entire league the home-away record was basically 50-50 for the past 2 years. I thought that was interesting as obviously not supporting a home field advantage. However, can’t say playoffs would be the same. Plus, getting the one seed means one less game and that means playing at home all the way. On a separate note, I have to say that this team does not seem to embrace the cold like the old teams from the Super Bowl era. 

    Defense: let’s grade and comment your grade

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    I gave the D a “C” because after the game was in hand they couldn’t get a stop to seal the win. The offense had to go out again and score or I believe we would have lost. This is against an average QB with no real WR threats. Bills have the same issues as last year. They don’t get sacks and they can’t stop the run. The team will go as far as Josh can carry them. 

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