Isaiah McKenzie
The biggest injury coming out of Week 16 was to slot receiver Cole Beasley, who was ruled out for this weekend’s game. The hope is that this is only a one week injury and that he would be able to return for the start of the playoffs but that is not a guarantee.
This is why it is vital for the team to find a suitable replacement for Beasley in the slot and that player could be Isaiah McKenzie. While he hasn’t been a starter, the Bills have been able to get McKenzie on the field for at least a few snaps most weeks but that role could be expanding now.
While it is unlikely for McKenzie to completely replicate what Beasley brings to this offense, the biggest positive is that he has been very reliable when the ball has come his way. This season he has caught 24 of 25 passes thrown in his direction. However, most of these targets are on sweeps these have primarily been close passes as the average depth of target has been only two yards this season.
This could be a good chance for McKenzie to earn additional snaps come playoff time even with the team’s reported interest in Kenny Stills.