Why did Isaiah McKenzie fail as starting Slot WR?

[NoSaint]

40 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

He made some big mistakes…I wouldn’t call him awful.  They just needed more from him at slot WR and he didn’t deliver.  Not sure why

I think Josh lost some trust in him which could account for him not getting more targets

you got the answers quickly and accurately. You just don’t like them. 
 

he’s not situationally aware or particularly well focused.
 

dude probably has a touch of ADHD and got by in life with a mix of natural gifts, humor and excuses 

[Pabstblueribbon]

Outside of the gadget role, I'm getting a John Brown Routes type feeling for Harty. 

 

They obviously wanted those again bad enough last year to bring back the man himself

[NoSaint]

25 minutes ago, Nephilim17 said:

We don't really know how hard he trained and studied but I suspect he wasn't very focused and/or smart, didn't have great hands, and lacked the fearlessness great slot guys have.

He had a hell of shot to do it and simply didn't. 

And doesn’t mean he’s a flop… but he’s not a fit for a contender, right? You can’t have a guy single-handedly lose a game when you are fighting for a #1 seed and a ring. 
 

for the colts he might steal a win or two. Unlikely he’s a plus guy in Buffalo though. 

[Pabstblueribbon]

Colts gave us Hines. This year we give Hines back, but he's missing 7 fingers and gone on a diet. 

[JohnNord]

8 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

you got the answers quickly and accurately. You just don’t like them. 
 

he’s not situationally aware or particularly well focused.
 

dude probably has a touch of ADHD and got by in life with a mix of natural gifts, humor and excuses 

I would believe ADHD by listening to his show with Dunne!

 

can give a few examples of him not being situationally aware?  I can think of 2 instances off the top of my head - one being his fumble in KC which actually went on Josh and was chalked up to a miscommunication.

 

The other was week 3 against Miami where he was tackled in bounds to end the game.  Neither of these seem like glaring examples 

[Rocky Landing]

In my opinion, his biggest issue was between the ears. He’s a great guy, with great energy, elite athleticism, and speed. He was certainly capable of having great games, as we saw at the end of the ‘21 season. But his inconsistency was glaring.

 

When he was dialed in, he was terrific. But too often he seemed to lose focus. 

[msw2112]

McKenzie is a very athletic player who is capable of making big plays and having big games, but he doesn't appear to have the mental makeup and focus to be a consistent or reliable player.  He also seems to be a good teammate and member of the community.  Unfortunately, based on the present roster construction, there was not a place for him with the Bills this season.  I wish him well and hope he succeeds with the Colts. 

Edited June 2, 2023 by msw2112

[folz]

He could make some plays in the slot against man coverage because of his speed, but he wasn't good against the zone, finding the spots and making himself available for his QB. He didn't have that knack/feel that most good slots like Beasley, Crowder, etc. have against zone coverage. If Crowder stayed healthy, they might have been a good tandem, but McKenzie couldn't do it on his own. Teams knew how to cover/eliminate him. 

 

And I think Josh lost some faith in him as the season wore on as well.

[Mark Vader]

1 hour ago, DJB said:

Because he couldn’t catch the ball lol

DING! DING! DING!

 

This thread can now be closed.

[Fan in Chicago]

32 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

 

The other was week 3 against Miami where he was tackled in bounds to end the game.  Neither of these seem like glaring examples 

That one is indeed a glaring example.

It was an in-season game but in the playoffs where teams are hyper competitive a mistake or lack of awareness can lose a game, as a single spectacular play (a la David Tyree) can win it

Edited June 2, 2023 by Fan in Chicago

[Lagoon Blues]

For the life of me I don't understand why we stopped doing the Jet Sweep with him

[JohnNord]

20 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said:

That one is indeed a glaring example.

It was an in-season game but in the playoffs where teams are hyper competitive a mistake or lack of awareness can lose a game, as a single spectacular play (a la David Tyree) can win it

He said on his podcast that he was running as fast as he could to the sideline.  Not sure if that truly counts as situational 

[BADOLBILZ]

 

 

 

1. Dumb player

2. Stiff and awkward athlete with hard hands

3. Not accountable or self aware

[Bookie Man]

Too much a gadgety skill set, kind of like Tavon Austin. Not quick enough out of his cuts. Questionable hands. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Zone defense 

/thread 

[BuffaloBillyG]

2 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

Daboll did not catch the balls and a lot of the balls were in very difficult places to catch.

I just got the mental image of Daboll running the route tree and catching passes. For some reason it was set the the Benny Hill theme and it was absolutely hysterical.

[Punching Bag]

 

[PrimeTime101]

2 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

Proof he can catch.

 

 

from 2 years ago? When they had Brown and Diggs on the field and KcKenzie was the last target they were worried about?

[Punching Bag]

6 minutes ago, PrimeTime101 said:

from 2 years ago? When they had Brown and Diggs on the field and KcKenzie was the last target they were worried about?

 

I am glad you and the GOAT liar agreed.  He had no way to defend him.

[Gugny]

3 hours ago, Your Brown Eye said:

He was about as focused as a toddler at a circus

I actually think this sums it up. 
 

Clearly capable of being great, but he simply could NOT be consistent. 
 

And from my couch, it looked like a lack of focus.  
 

Perhaps he was overthinking or trying to anticipate too much.  Who knows?

 

I will say that I don’t think it was a lack of effort, care or work ethic. 
 

I enjoyed him as a Bill and I hope he has a great career.