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 Arrowhead
Ep 1: From Miami Gardens to Orchard Park
Isaiah McKenzie Show, Ep 5: 'I was grazed by a bullet once'