If you’re a Bills fan, then you’re most likely a fan of Isaiah McKenzie and were happy to see him re-sign with the Bills this offseason. He’s extremely likable, has a glowing personality, and his teammates love him.
While McKenzie is a great “glue guy” to have in the locker room, he’s also great to have on the field as well. Here, we’ll take a look at what we might expect from McKenzie and the role he’ll play in this offense in 2022.
Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders are gone from the starting group, and Jamison Crowder and Gabriel Davis are in. So, where does Lil’ Dirty fit into all this?
Signs are pointing towards McKenzie being used as more than just the “gadget guy” that we’re accustomed to seeing from him. He showed us that he is capable of being a serviceable WR in the league after his huge performance against the Patriots in Week 16 last year when he filled in for an injured Beasley, recording 11 receptions for 125 yards and a TD. We knew he was fast and agile but we never knew how good his hands were. He made several great catches including a couple diving along the sidelines, and on his TD grab he had to stop and reach back across his body.
Although he was mainly just using his speed and beating man coverage across the field, that speed and ability to create after the catch has to be respected by defenses or he’ll burn you. The Bills coaching staff has shown more trust in McKenzie and with the exit of Beasley, I believe there are more reps available for him. Not to say he will be viable option for fantasy football throughout the year, but he should see a bigger role.
Josh Allen has built a relationship with McKenzie and has begun to trust him more and more. While Crowder is there and he will definitely get tons of slot opportunities, McKenzie still has the potential to be a big part of the offense and get his number called because of the high-volume air attack of the Bills.
In May, when Allen was asked by reporters how the departure of Beasley will impact the offense, he was quick to remind them that he’s played with McKenzie even longer than he has with Beasley, saying, “Isaiah has been here for four years.”
McKenzie has been with Allen since his rookie year and their relationship has only gotten stronger since then.
“We’re communicating like him and Bease were communicating (throughout OTAs and minicamp),” McKenzie said, via Matt Parrino of NewYorkUpstate.com. “I want that chemistry that they had the past few years… we’re gonna have to speed it up a little because the season is right around the corner.”
McKenzie continued to say, “…being behind Bease… he taught me a lot. Just watching him run routes and how he read coverages and everything.”
These are some good things to hear from Allen and McKenzie. The trust and the chemistry is being built, and we’re all ready to see them hit the field.
More questions involving McKenzie’s usage will be answered during training camp and we’ll get to see exactly how well him and Crowder are looking in the slot and how they’ll split up snaps.
One thing I’m sure of is that McKenzie’s usage will increase this season. I’m excited to see if him and Allen can continue to build on the chemistry they had towards the end of last year and see if the Bills will utilize his skills more. Under new Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey, it’d be nice to see a lot of him in the slot and with crossing patterns as well, as that is where McKenzie can make his living – stretching those linebackers and beating the cornerbacks across the field. No matter how the action in the slot is shared, it’s great to have multiple reliable depth options at the position.
