Isaiah McKenzie Show

Western New Yorkers love them some Isaiah McKenzie. We saw that right away on Thursday night.A huge, huge thank you to everyone who packed Mister’s Bar & Lanes for our final live episode of the season. It’s easy to see why the Buffalo Bills wide receiver is so beloved, too. You won’t find many NFL players this authentic and this honest with the public through the stressful ups and downs of an NFL season. And, really, that was the goal with this show at Go Long — to give all football fans a true look inside into this league. Poll-tested press conferences often only reveal so much. And, holy, what an emotional roller-coaster this 2021 season has been for McKenzie, from the kick return called back in Tennessee to getting benched by Sean McDermott after a 41-15 loss to the Colts to playing hero in Foxborough to one of the most insane finishes you’ll ever see in an NFL game. McKenzie has discussed it all… even that hilarious reason he did not attend Notre Dame. If you missed any previous episodes, they’re all linked below. This week? McKenzie guides everyone through the Bills’ surreal 42-36 overtime loss in Kansas City. What was going through his mind sitting on the bench afterward?Who said what in the locker room? Why exactly was the defense sitting back in such soft coverage to his knowledge? Do players even know what happened?Where is McKenzie at through his “5 stages of grief?”McKenzie is just as flabbergasted as the fans. And, now, he’s a free agent. McKenzie discusses the next step, too. After proving himself with limited opportunities, free agency could be interesting. Does he want to be back in Buffalo? You can watch and/or listen to The Isaiah McKenzie Show right here at Go Long. Audio and video options are both available above.Or, if podcasting is your thing, the shows are always available right inside the main Go Long Podcast feed on Apple and Spotify as well as its own standalone podcast feed on Apple and Spotify. All episodes also can be found on our YouTube channel.Thank you again, everyone. Go Long is a completely independent newsletter committed to finding a story you have not read (or heard) before. If you’d like to support independent journalism, you can upgrade to a full subscription right here: Miss a past episode? You can catch up right here:Ep 8: An inside look at '13 Seconds' and the ‘5 stages of grief’Ep 7: One shining momentEp 6: What happened to the Bills?Ep 5: ‘I was grazed by a bullet once’Ep 4: The true story of 'Lil Dirty'Ep 3: Why it's time for the Buffalo Bills to give him a scout team 'bonus'Ep 2: Inside the Bills’ demolition at ArrowheadEp 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

What a month it’s been for Isaiah McKenzie.Not sure we’ve seen a turnaround quite like this anywhere in the NFL this season.Way back when the Buffalo Bills were shellacked by the Indianapolis Colts, 41-15, the receiver/returner was promptly sent to the bench. Head coach Sean McDermott appeared to be making an example out of McKenzie after his fumble in the blowout loss. And right then, as he explains on this week’s show, McKenzie feared his career with the Bills may be finished.He was inactive in New Orleans, then inactive against the Patriots at home.McKenzie got called back up for a handful of plays in Tampa Bay and finally — with wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis both on the Covid-19 list — McKenzie was needed. He did not disappoint, either. In Buffalo’s 33-21 win in Foxborough, he caught 11 passes for 125 yards with one touchdown. Again and again, quarterback Josh Allen looked for McKenzie in crucial situations and now Super Bowl hopes are very real again for the Bills.On “The Isaiah McKenzie Show,” at Go Long, McKenzie digs into it all…The benching. He breaks down his conversation with McDermott and what happened next personally. It took a few sleepless nights to get past his head coach’s decision. McKenzie was in his own head. This wasn’t easy.How he dominated Bill Belichick’s defense. Not many receivers can live to tell these stories but McKenzie knew that in man-to-man coverage, no cornerback could keep up with him. So, he ate Myles Bryant's lunch.His rapport with Josh Allen. He’s convinced they still have a rare connection that goes back to 2018 when Allen was a raw rookie out of Wyoming and he was just trying to save his NFL career after the Denver Broncos gave up on him. The two are tight. Allen believed in McKenzie with Beasley and Davis both out.Spending Christmas Eve with complete strangers. It's the ultimate Western New York story, isn't it? McKenzie was hungry, let folks know on social media and, voila, all of a sudden he's at the kitchen table with a family. He explains how it all happened.His Georgia Bulldogs are playing in the College Football Playoff. He wants a piece of ‘Bama in the title game, too.Remember when McKenzie’s chest landed on the ball? He’s still feeling the effects of that one.What does the future entail for McKenzie? He’s been joking with teammates that coaches only use him one game a year, so who the heck knows what happens next. Maybe now, a calendar year later, he is this team’s secret weapon.You can watch and/or listen to The Isaiah McKenzie Show right here at Go Long. Audio and video options are both available above. Or, if podcasting is your thing, the shows are always available right inside the main Go Long Podcast feed on Apple and Spotify as well as its own standalone podcast feed on Apple and Spotify. All episodes also can be found on our YouTube channel.We do have one more in-person show scheduled at Mister’s in East Aurora, N.Y. for next week, though stay tuned to GoLongTD.com for updates.Thanks, everyone.Go Long is a completely independent newsletter committed to finding a story you have not read (or heard) before. If you’d like to support independent journalism, you can upgrade to a full subscription right here:Miss a past episode? You can catch up right here:Ep 7: One shining momentEp 6: What happened to the Bills?Ep 5: ‘I was grazed by a bullet once’Ep 4: The true story of 'Lil Dirty'Ep 3: Why it's time for the Buffalo Bills to give him a scout team 'bonus'Ep 2: Inside the Bills’ demolition at ArrowheadEp 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

No, this is not how the Buffalo Bills wanted to be playing football into late November. There is legitimate cause for concern.Unlike last season, they’re not routing opponents with ease. The Indianapolis Colts effectively punched the Bills in the mouth, again and again, through a 41-15 win on Sunday.So, what now? As we wrote at Go Long, the Bills’ problems run deep into the fabric of how this team was built. They’ll have a chance to turn things around quickly on Thanksgiving Day at New Orleans. The fans who pour millions of dollars into the NFL don’t get the full story unfortunately with locker rooms closed off to the media this season, which is one reason we started the Isaiah McKenzie Show — he is willing to give everyone a real feel for how this league works through the ups and the downs. As always, McKenzie is honest this episode. He digs into the loss, the mood and his own fumble at the end of the first half.We also discuss McKenzie’s highly successful BBQ restaurant in Miami. It has become an incredible passion of his with “La Traila Barbecue Miami” voted the No. 1 BBQ spot in South Florida. And for a good half-hour, McKenzie takes everyone’s questions at Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, NY. You can catch the Isaiah McKenzie Show right here at GoLongTD.com or wherever you get your podcasts. It has its own feed on Apple and Spotify, while we also include the show on our flagship Go Long Podcast Apple and Spotify feeds. All full videos are posted at the Go Long YouTube page, too. I appreciate everyone for coming on out or listening/watching wherever you are. We still have four episodes to go, one of which will be held at Mister’s on Jan 3. Feel free to make your reservation for that show today.Go Long is a newsletter dedicated to enterprising pro football journalism. Free and paid subscriptions are both available. You can support this publication best by subscribing here:Miss a past episode? You can catch up right here:Ep 5: ‘I was grazed by a bullet once’Ep 4: The true story of 'Lil Dirty'Ep 3: Why it's time for the Buffalo Bills to give him a scout team 'bonus'Ep 2: Inside the Bills’ demolition at ArrowheadEp 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

Central to the Buffalo Bills’ turnaround last weekend was the man known as “Lil Dirty” himself. Isaiah McKenzie injected needed life into the Bills against the New York Jets as only McKenzie can with some pregame battle cries, a big punt return and his first touchdown of the season. On Episode 5 of The Isaiah McKenzie Show, here at Go Long, the receiver/returner takes you inside the team’s massive energy shift. How can a team look so bad one week and so good the next? He explains. Buffalo needed this 45-17 win with much tougher games ahead.Afterward, the team’s head coach praised McKenzie, too. Sean McDermott noted McKenzie’s maturation and the fact that he doesn’t come from much.So, here on the show, we take a deeper look into McKenzie’s upbringing down in Miami Gardens… and he shares a story few people in his life know. A bullet easily could’ve taken his life. It’s quite chilling, to say the least. So many of his friends weren’t so lucky. And, finally, McKenzie has some fun breaking down the Bills’ wacky wide receiver room. Without question, this position group could have its own sitcom with Stefon Diggs (“He’s the queen, the Madonna”), Cole Beasley (“Vaccine Boy”) and Emmanuel Sanders (“Splinter”) all supplying the laughs and tears on a day-to-day basis. Little do people know that McKenzie is one trying to keep Diggs calm, too.Thanks for watching and listening, everyone. Remember to submit questions for McKenzie to golongtd@gmail.com. As always, you can get every single episode in these posts right at GoLongTD.com, and wherever you get podcasts. The Isaiah McKenzie Show is available on the Go Long Podcast and also has its own Apple and Spotify channels. If YouTube is your thing, all 10 episodes can be found on YouTube.As a reminder, half of the episodes will be held right at Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, N.Y. We still have two left if you’d like to hang out with us in-person — on Monday Nov. 22 (6 p.m.) and Monday Jan. 3 (6 p.m.). It’s a rip-roarin’ good time. Hope to meet you there and, also, paid subscribers to Go Long get first dibs on a table. The first three shows were all jam-packed so feel free to upgrade at the button below and make your reservation online right here. (Just include your email in the special request section so we can confirm your subscription.)Miss a past episode of The Isaiah McKenzie Show? Catch up right here:Ep 4: The true story of 'Lil Dirty'Ep 3: Why it's time for the Buffalo Bills to give him a scout team 'bonus'Ep 2: Inside the Bills’ demolition at ArrowheadEp 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

Teammates said he smells… and has bad breath… and talks too much junk so, of course, we had to give Isaiah McKenzie an opportunity to snipe back here on Episode 4 of The Isaiah McKenzie Show at Go Long. On the Buffalo Bills’ own sponsored video clip on social media, McKenzie was roasted good.McKenzie doesn’t hold back with his response.From there, we learn more about the real “Lil Dirty” on the Isaiah McKenzie Show, live from Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, N.Y. The nickname does have merit. He explains. Turns out, Stefon Diggs is to blame for the nickname taking off, too. McKenzie tends to fall asleep any given moment. Maybe it’s a team meeting. Maybe it’s on a hardwood floor at home. Without warning, McKenzie passes out any second of any day. His sister offers some insight, too. The team’s 26-11 win over Miami. How did Buffalo turn it around? This sure wasn’t looking good at halftime. McKenzie again offers a rare peek behind the curtain, explaining who spoke up in the locker room to get this offense rolling. Also, do such motivational speeches work? And can guest speakers like Phil Mickelson really resonate? Are opponents trying to hurt Josh Allen after plays? That appeared to be the case at the end of this win. Allen was not thrilled with Christian Wilkins of the Dolphins. Sadly, McKenzie has never heard of Jim Croce (or Christmas Vacation or George Costanza or Comedy Central), but we do learn which musician he listens to exclusively before every game. His answer may surprise you. Slow, sad music is what actually gets McKenzie’s mind right. He’s living out of a hotel today, but that wasn’t the case as a kid. McKenzie takes us all back to growing up in a one-bedroom apartment with eight siblings in Miami Gardens. Cockroaches and mice became his close friends. The Jacksonville Jaguars are up next so, naturally, we wonder if his head coach Sean McDermott would ever get caught up in the, uh, shenanigans their head coach did. You probably know the answer to that one and McKenzie, again, is hilarious when it comes to his head coach. Your questions. McKenzie answers everything for a good 20 to 25 minutes, promising to give one young fan in attendance the football if he scores a touchdown against the Jaguars. Thanks for watching and listening, everyone. As always, you can get every single episode in these posts right at GoLongTD.com, and wherever you get podcasts. The Isaiah McKenzie Show is available on the Go Long Podcast and also has its own Apple and Spotify channels. If YouTube is your thing, all 10 episodes can be found on YouTube. We’ve got six eps to go, two of which will be held at Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, N.Y.Tables fill up fast so if you can make one of the final live shows — Nov. 22 and Jan. 3 (both at 6 p.m.) — be sure to make your reservation on the Mister’s Bar & Lanes website via OpenTable today. Paid subscribers to Go Long get first dibs on a table so, if you’d like, upgrade right here as well.McKenzie loves hanging out with fans afterward. It’s a family-friendly environment, so feel free to bring your kids.Ep 3: Why it's time for the Buffalo Bills to give him a scout team 'bonus'Ep 2: Inside the Bills’ demolition at ArrowheadEp 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

It’s high time for Isaiah McKenzie to get the ball more in Buffalo. (A 101-yard kick return is proof of that, right?) It’s not time for anyone to hire Isaiah McKenzie as their next babysitter. (This story will crack you up.)He’s masterful at getting underneath the skin of teammates. (Just ask Micah Hyde.)He runs for miles… upon miles… upon miles every practice. (And sure wouldn’t mind a scout team “bonus” in his next deal.)These are just a handful of the many truths we learn on Episode 3 of the Isaiah McKenzie Show. Again, we record live from Mister’s Bar & Lanes in East Aurora, N.Y., and it’s a rollicking affair. We start off by reliving the Bills’ 34-31 loss in Nashville, where McKenzie was nearly the hero. His touchdown with three minutes to go was called back on a hold. From there, we look back at the moments that made McKenzie growing up. The questions from folks in the audience were fantastic, too.You’ll get the inside story on Dawson Knox’s two-point throw with a broken hand.With Halloween around the corner, McKenzie power ranks his top 5 candies. And I think you’ll enjoy McKenzie’s take on “taunting” in the NFL.A huge thanks to everyone who came on out to pack Mister’s. Remember, we’ll be there on site for three more episodes at the dates below. Make your reservation today. Subscribers to Go Long get first dibs at a table. Just note your email address in the comments section on Open Table or let them know on the phone.Monday, Nov. 1 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Nov. 22 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Jan. 3 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)You can catch all 10 episodes of the Isaiah McKenzie Show, throughout the season, right here at GoLongTD.com, over on the flagship Go Long Podcast, on its own Apple and Spotify feeds and, of course, YouTube. Have a question for McKenzie? Email us at golongtd@gmail.com.Thanks, everyone.Go Long is a newsletter dedicated to enterprising pro football journalism. Free and paid subscriptions are both available. You can support this publication best by subscribing here: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

To fans, the Buffalo Bills’ 38-20 domination of the Kansas City Chiefs felt like more than just another regular season win. This was the team that knocked the Bills off in the AFC title game, after all.To players, it sure felt special, too.On Episode 2 of the The Isaiah McKenzie, we relive the Buffalo win — from the weather delay to the budding Chiefs rivalry to Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes. McKenzie signed with the Bills in 2018, so he’s seen Allen’s maturation up close. What may surprise you is that he had no clue who Allen even was upon arriving in Western New York. The receiver explains just how much his quarterback has grown since that rookie year. And, big picture, Sunday night’s result is giving the 2021 Bills a ton of confidence.“We know — we know — that we have to beat them,” McKenzie said on this week’s episode, “to show not only just them, but the world, that we come to play this game to win this game to show you that we’re not just any Buffalo Bills team. We’re not just a Buffalo Bills team that’s around to make it to the AFC Championship Game or have potential to make the playoffs every year now. We’re trying to win something bigger than that. “The Chiefs, last year and the year before, were the standard. Patrick Mahomes. Tyreek Hill. Travis Kelce. I can go down the line. Tyrann Mathieu. They were the standard. Those guys had been winning. In order to beat them, you have to find winners that want to beat them. “We’re trying to win and we know we have to go through them.” There’s X ‘n O talk on how his jet sweep action helps fuel this offense as well as the roots of his fearlessness as a returner — McKenzie once suffered a concussion back in high school that knocked him out.We give McKenzie a chance to elaborate on his Notre Dame decomittment. Our clip from last week, nearing 200K views, seemed to trigger the Fighting Irish a bit. (Yes, McKenzie was told he couldn’t have, uh, sexual relations on campus.) With Georgia ranked No. 1 in the nation, we also look back to McKenzie’s college days, his relationship with Kirby Smart and how dangerous he was at wide receiver. Mel Kiper Jr. once compared his game to Antonio Brown. Finally, we received some fantastic questions from subscribers, including one on Sean McDermott. McKenzie takes it upon himself to loosen his head coach up around One Bills Drive. Thank you everyone for listening and watching this new show at Go Long and feel free to share episodes with a friend. All air right here at GoLongTD.com, as well as Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Live nearby? Hang out with us in real life. Five of these 10 episodes are held at Mister’s Bar and Lanes in East Aurora, N.Y., with the next show slated for Monday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. (EST). Go Long subscribers get first dibs on a table — and they go fast! — so be sure to reserve your table today and note in the Open Table comment section that you’re a paid subscriber with your email address to confirm.The remaining live show dates are below: Monday, Oct. 25 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Nov. 1 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Nov. 22 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Jan. 3 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Past episodes of The Isaiah McKenzie Show:Ep 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

And… we’re off.What a fun time at Mister’s Bar and Lanes in East Aurora, NY launching “The Isaiah McKenzie Show” this week. Thrilled to share the show with all of our readers and listeners at Go Long right here.We explained the premise last week, ICYMI. In a sport increasingly watered down by press conferences, the hope is for fans to really get to know one of its most dynamic personalities: Bills receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie. These 10 episodes should show everyone a side of the game they haven’t seen before. McKenzie is one of a kind, so we’ll dive into it all: The Bills. The league. The world. His surreal background. You can get all episodes via video or audio — whichever you prefer — right here at GoLongTD.com. Both formats are embedded in this post above. Further, you’ll be able to locate the show on Apple, Spotify and our YouTube channel as the files matriculate to those channels. Longform storytelling is always the focus at Go Long and we’ll keep churning out the written word at our regular clip, but I’ve also had a lot of readers tell me they want to plug podcasts into their ears while they’re mowing the lawn, driving to work, changing diapers, etc. Hopefully The Isaiah McKenzie Show, Go Long Podcast and Ty & Bob Pod help accentuate our coverage here. (Note: Keep an eye out for our next big story dropping Friday AM.) Here’s what’s cookin’ on Episode 1 with McKenzie… The Bills’ current obliteration of opponents. They’re outscoring teams 118-21 the last three weeks. What’s the mood internally with Sean McDermott and all of the players? More importantly, into this rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, is this a Super Bowl-or-Bust type of season for the Bills?McKenzie’s unique role in it all. How do you hijack a game when you’re getting the ball a handful of times on “minimum wage?”His career started in Denver and, honestly, should’ve ended in Denver. A flurry of muffs threatened to ruin McKenzie mentally. He opens up on how he totally refocused when the Bills threw him a life raft in 2018 — with advice everyone can apply to their own lives. Growing up in Miami Gardens. It was not easy — and we’ll dig into this more throughout the 10 episodes — but McKenzie was sure to have a little fun as a kid, too. Too much fun, actually. One prank pulled on his grandmother is an all-timer… and led to a whupping he’ll never forget.Struggling in school. He was no fan of class, no. Yet when college football became a real possibility, McKenzie started to shape up.The, uh, reason McKenzie decommitted from Notre Dame. Don’t miss this. You’ll learn something new about this school today. His new dog, “Papi,” is in the house at Mister’s.Your questions. The last 15 minutes of The Isaiah McKenzie Show will always be about you and anything on your mind. McKenzie is asked who his best friend on the team is, his pregame ritual, his role on offense, Cole Beasley and what it’s like returning a punt with a tackler right in his face. (We’ll be sure to pass the mic ‘round next time, too.)Thanks everyone. This will be a lot of fun.Want to see a show in person? Make your reservation via Open Table through the Mister’s website. If you’re a subscriber, you get first dibs, too. (Our other five episodes are via Zoom.)Monday, Oct. 25 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Nov. 1 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Nov. 22 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)Monday, Jan. 3 (6 p.m.-7 p.m.)If you can’t make a show in-person, be sure to drop any questions for McKenzie to me at golongtd@gmail.com. And we’d love it if you subscribed to Go Long, right here, to get everything we have to offer: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe