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The marquee Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams season opening matchup on Thursday, September 8, will come with plenty of intriguing storylines.
Among them: How many touches will Allen Robinson get in his Rams debut, how will Bobby Wagner fare in a Rams uniform while trying to track down Josh Allen, if Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford can pick up where they left off from their dynamic season together and finally…if this game is a prelude to who the NFL will see on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
But in Buffalo, there’s been one more story that’s made “Bills Mafia,” let alone members of the “Rams House,” wonder if a certain speedy option is good to go for the Thursday night heavyweight battle at SoFi Stadium. Reports and social media videos all point to the Rams projected to deal with the Bills inserting their $4.4 million option in the lineup.
Veteran Was Full Practice Participant
Signs are indicating that wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, who had been nursing a lengthy groin injury, will get his crack at the Rams in Week 1.
The first sign arrived on Thursday, September 1 with the game one week out: Bills general manager Brandon Beane saying how McKenzie was pushing to play and that it would be “hard to hold him out” per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.
The second sign: Syracuse.com’s Matt Parrino capturing video of McKenzie using his reported 40-yard dash time of 4.42 during the Bills’ Labor Day practice.
The third and final sign: Bills beat reporter John Scott of Spectrum News in Buffalo catching video of the 5-foot-8, 174-pounder showing his rapid fire feet.
Per Spotrac, McKenzie is on a two-year deal worth up to $4.4 million. His deal makes him an unrestricted free agent for the 2024 offseason.
The 27-year-old, whose nickname is “Lil Dirty,” has shown signs of speedy versatility for Buffalo. He’s mostly been used as a threat on jet sweep plays to the wide receiver. And, after not scoring once from 2017 to 2018, McKenzie has scored a combined seven touchdowns across the last three seasons while wearing the Bills helmet. He’s also one catch away from getting his 100th career reception according to Pro Football Reference.
McKenzie really went off on the New England Patriots during their December 26 meeting won by the Bills: Catching 11 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown.
McKenzie is anticipated to have an expanded role in this Bills offense alongside All-Pro Stefon Diggs and prized draft find Khalil Shakir out of Boise State. Buffalo also is transitioning away from last season’s second-leading wideout Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders — indicating McKenzie will get some touches. He and the Bills’ wideouts are heading toward a huge test that the Rams are projected to present.
McKenzie & Bills Present Huge Battle for New-Look Rams DB Unit
While Wagner and Allen is a key battle, plus Aaron Donald versus the former top 10 pick out of Wyoming, there’s this other intriguing clash — which takes place on the perimeter.
Allen will look to distribute the football against a Rams secondary that not only brings back captain Jalen Ramsey, but features a young group of defensive backs that have shown flashes of potential during training camp.
Rookies Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick impressed with their ball skills and scrapper side in man coverage, respectively, during training camp. Durant picked off two passes during the July 28 practice — one of those takeaways coming in front of Kupp. Kendrick was often seen challenging “A-Rob” to better himself as a CB.
Second-year pro Robert Rochell also put together a solid camp and got his hands on the ball for picks. The Rams also bring back valuable slot cornerback Troy Hill after a season away with the Cleveland Browns. The native of nearby Ventura, California could be one of the options alongside Ramsey in tangling with McKenzie.
Time will tell if the Bills’ aerial options will present a similar or more dangerous challenge than what the Cincinnati Bengals presented in the Super Bowl. But with McKenzie looking like he’ll play, expect the bout between the Bills’ wideouts and Rams’ DBs to provide plenty of theatrics near Hollywood.
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