Tag: Isaiah McKenzie

Isaiah McKenzie called his punt return TD with Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie called his touchdown punt return vs. the Miami Dolphins with Josh Allen.

Week 17 of the NFL’s regular season typically allows for surprising performances by lesser known players. That was true for the Buffalo Bills this week as they took on the Miami Dolphins. Enter wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie.

McKenzie, who is in his third season in Buffalo (13-3), is known for his gadget plays, but on Sunday… did a whole lot more in a masterful 56-26 Bills win.

With wide receiver Cole Beasley and returner Andre Roberts both out, the small, speedster, ended the day with three total touchdowns, with two coming on offense and one on special teams. That made him just the sixth player in Bills history to score on offense and via return in the same game.

“He’s such a joy to be around and watch,” head coach Sean McDermott said via video after the game. “He’s just another example of guys coming to Buffalo and becoming the best version of themselves.”

McKenzie, who is originally from Miami, told the media after the game that his phone was blowing up with texts and calls from people asking him why he needed to have such a good game against his hometown team.

“I did what I had to do,” McKenzie said.

While Beasley didn’t play in Sunday’s game, he had a big impact through McKenzie.

“When I went out there to play today, I did what he taught me,” McKenzie told reporters via Zoom. “I used every single bit of information he gave me before the game and it helped me a lot.”

Perhaps the most impressive play for McKenzie was returning a punt for a TD in the second quarter. Something no Bills player had done since 2014:

Oh… he also called that it was going to happen.

McKenzie reportedly told quarterback Josh Allen before his punt return TD not to worry about going back out because he was about to score.

Allen’s response? “OK, go score then.”

Allen also praised the WR for his complete performance.

“He was awesome. Guys stepping up with Cole going down, you see the things Isaiah can do,” Allen said. “He’s just one of those guys that’s such a team guy. He makes the most of his opportunities.”

While the Bills hope to have Beasley back for the playoffs, McKenzie knows there’s a chance he could be counted on not just in a Week 17 game, but in a game where a win means the season is over.

“I gotta step up and make big plays and help this team win,” McKenzie added.

Did he ever step up…

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National media reaction to Bills’ blowout of Dolphins

National reactions on Twitter to Buffalo Bills’ blowout win vs. the Miami Dolphins in 2020 Week 17.

Maybe the bar was a bit higher for the Miami Dolphins heading into Week 17 because, by comparison, they actually had way more to play for than the Buffalo Bills. Turns out the Bills (13-3) had different plans, though.

Buffalo thrashed the Dolphins, 56-26, and now the Fins will have to wait and see if they’ll get into the playoffs.

In the process, the final score line from Bills Stadium was certainly shocking to many. The national reaction was no different.

Here’s some of the top national and media reactions to Buffalo’s whooping of the Dolphins in Week 17:

Jim Rome, The Jim Rome Show

Adam Schein, CBS Sports

Kevin Connors, ESPN

Dan Orlovsky, ESPN

Jonathan Coachman, CBS Sports

Ian Rapoport, NFL Network

Tyler Dunne, Go Long with Ty Dunne

Big Cat, Barstool Sports

Rabi Nabulsi, UGASports.com

Fred Jackson, former Bills RB

Chris Mortensen, ESPN

Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports

Louis Riddick, ESPN

Andy Buckley, NBC’s The Office

Summer Sanders, Olympian

Peter Schrager, NFL Network

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5 takeaways from the Bills’ 56-26 win over the Dolphins

Takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 2020 Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins.

The Buffalo Bills had no intensions of slowing down heading into the postseason.

With the AFC East title already wrapped up and likely having the No. 2 seed secured even prior to Week 17’s kickoff against the Miami Dolphins (10-6)… nothing stopped Buffalo. The Bills (13-3) absolutely beat down the Dolphins in their regular season finale, 56-26.

Take about ending the year on a high note.

Following that blowout, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Starters play till half

It was an unknown and then later an uneasy situation the Bills put everyone in. Throughout the week, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was a man of his word. You’ve got to give him that. The entire time he said he wouldn’t reveal who would play and start for his team against the Dolphins. Even the night before the season finale, reports on what Buffalo would do were flimsy at best.

Well, as it turns out, the starters for the Bills would play till roughly halftime. The name at the top of this list was quarterback Josh Allen, who played all the way till the end of first half kneel down. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs played just about the same amount of time. Guys like QB Matt Barkley and others came in on offense at the start of the third quarter.

On defense, the Bills had a mixed bag. Some starters actually were left inactive for the game. That grouping included cornerback Tre’Davious White and pass rushers Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison. Probably a smart play. Others, like starting linebacker duo Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano saw playing time up until the first series in the second half.

All-in-all, the Bills still came to play even with their personnel question marks. Allen was 18-for-25 passing for 224 yards and three touchdowns. He also had an interception, as did Barkley in relief (Barkley also had a score.) Practice squad rusher Antonio Williams turned some heads with his first-career touchdowns. Wide receiver John Brown did get back in the lineup him and he looked good as usual. He caught a touchdown pass.

But there was one guy who stood out above the rest for the Bills…

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Isaiah McKenzie gives Bills first punt return TD since 2014 (video)

WR Isaiah McKeznie gives Buffalo Bills first punt return Touchdown vs. Miami Dolphins in Week 17 for first time since 2014.

The 2020 Buffalo Bills regular season finale will forever be known as the Isaiah McKenzie game.

McKenzie, seeing extended playing time on the Bills offense thanks to Cole Beasley being sidelined with an injury, came to play. McKenzie had three touchdowns in the first half alone for the Bills. His third came in a rare variety.

His third and final score put Buffalo up 21-3 in the second quarter and it came via a punt return. According to the Bills, it was the first time since 2014 in December against the Packers that a Buffalo player scored on a punt return. The last player to do so was Marcus Thigpen.

Check out the play here:

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Watch: Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie with spectacular 84-yard punt return

Isaiah McKenzie with a three-TD first half for the Buffalo Bills

Isaiah McKenzie is ruining the Miami Dolphins by himself.

The Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver caught two first-half touchdown passes before a stunning solo performance.

McKenzie took a punt at the Bills’ 16 and made all sorts of fantastic moves, faking Miami punter Matt Haack out of his uniform before winding up in the end zone as Buffalo grabbed a 21-3 advantage.

Watch: Josh Allen sets Bills’ single-season passing mark

Josh Allen set the single-season mark for passing yards by a Bills’ QB

The Buffalo Bills are in full stampede mode as the regular season comes to an end. Josh Allen and his teammates are having their way at home against a Miami Dolphins team that is seeking a playoff spot.

Allen set the single-season mark for passing yards as a Buffalo Bill and already has found Isaiah McKenzie for a pair of touchdowns in the first half.

He eclipsed the mark of 4,359 yards set by Drew Bledsoe in 2002.

 

McKenzie added a third touchdown on an 84-yard punt return.

Watch: Josh Allen with gorgeous play-action fake on TD pass

Josh Allen found Isaiah McKenzie for a TD pass after a beautiful fake to the running back

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been on against the San Francisco 49ers in Arizona on Monday.

He threw a pair of short TD passes in the first half and added this beauty to a wide-open Isaiah McKenzie off a great fake in the third quarter.

The earlier scoring strikes:

And “Rock the Beasley”

Could Bills be changing up their facemask look on Monday vs. 49ers?

Buffalo Bills could be wearing white facemasks vs. the San Francisco 49ers.

The Buffalo Bills might be bringing out a look on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers that we haven’t seen in over a year.

Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie shared a video on his social media page via Instagram on Wednesday and in it, his helmet looks different. The Bills (8-3) receiver might have hinted that the 49ers (5-6) will see Buffalo’s white face masks replacing the usual grey helmet scheme we’re used to.

Here’s a screenshot of McKenzie’s potential nugget:

The last time the Bills did bust out the white facemasks on primetime it was Thanksgiving 2019. So in doing so, is Buffalo bringing out the good jujus? Maybe. Buffalo took down the Dallas Cowboys in that game, 25-16.

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Bills QB Josh Allen catches second NFL TD pass with strikingly similar plays

Josh Allen fooled the Cardinals with his second NFL touchdown catch, which was very much like his first.

While Bills quarterback Josh Allen has done a lot of good things with his arm and his legs this season — he came into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals with 19 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns this season — that’s not all the third-year man can do. Witness this 12-yard touchdown catch from receiver Isaiah McKenzie:

That’ll certainly amplify Allen’s YAC totals.

Of course, this isn’t the first touchdown catch of Allen’s NFL career. In last season’s wild-card loss to the Texans, Allen bought in a 16-yard score from receiver John Brown.

You’ll notice the similarities of the setups, so it’s not a good look for Arizona’s defense in not catching this possibility. The dots tell the story — receiver comes across, quarterback runs out to the left, defense gets confused, and that is that.

Bills QB Josh Allen catches TD pass vs. Cardinals (video)

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen catches touchdown pass vs. Cardinals.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is at it again.

Allen has a touchdown catch in his career already, but what a play this was against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.

Buffalo got the game’s first touchdown to take a 7-3 lead when wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie tossed Allen a pass in the backfield and the QB ran it in from there.

Check it out here:

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