That McKenzie Sweep on 4th and 1

[Mango]

I loved it, it was also ballsy. Raiders swallowed that up early in the game if I remember correctly. 

 

 

[Steve O]

10 minutes ago, wjag said:

I hope someone can show a close up look at the handoff.  Talk about timing.  That was brilliant.

Not a still but you can see the play at 4:55 of this youtube game recap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px6DGYx7DK0

 

[wjag]

6 minutes ago, Steve O said:

Not a still but you can see the play at 4:55 of this youtube game recap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px6DGYx7DK0

 

 

Thanks.  The timing of that play was exquisite.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

10 hours ago, ganesh said:

I think Knox had a great block to seal that corner

While Knox works his way into this offense his blocking seems to be much improved. 

[Kelly the Dog]

I will gleefully admit that is the kind of play I like when it works and scream obscenities when it doesn't. Not to be confused with plays that do work but are still stupid.

[blacklabel]

3 hours ago, Steve O said:

Not a still but you can see the play at 4:55 of this youtube game recap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px6DGYx7DK0

 

 

Whoever put together those highlights is a real schmuck. Didn't include Buffalo's first touchdown yet we got a nice look at every single Raiders field goal. Weenies. 

[Scott7975]

7 hours ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

I was listening to Cover 1 and they made a really good point: they kept faking the jet sweep for a ton of the game as window dressing. Eventually, the Raiders stopped biting so they kept the play in their back pocket until they needed it. Where did Daboll get the idea? The Bills had just gotten burned on it last week with all the sweeps to Woods.

They been faking the jet sweep since last year. I don't think it had much to do with the game against the Rams. 

[SectionC3]

13 hours ago, Simon said:

 

That might be the fastest I have ever seen a guy coming across in motion.

The execution and that timing on the snap and handoff were stunning.

Motion with purpose is a beautiful thing.  That’s a “Patriots” thing. 

[Hebert19]

13 hours ago, Simon said:

 

That might be the fastest I have ever seen a guy coming across in motion.

The execution and that timing on the snap and handoff were stunning.

That hand off was perfect. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

7 hours ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

I was listening to Cover 1 and they made a really good point: they kept faking the jet sweep for a ton of the game as window dressing. Eventually, the Raiders stopped biting so they kept the play in their back pocket until they needed it. Where did Daboll get the idea? The Bills had just gotten burned on it last week with all the sweeps to Woods.

theyve been doing this with McKenzie for at least two prior seasons 

[WhoTom]

4 hours ago, wjag said:

I hope someone can show a close up look at the handoff.  Talk about timing.  That was brilliant.

 

Agreed. It looked like McKenzie hesitated for a split second to make sure of that.

 

Something else about that play: I'm wondering if it was an option, with Josh reading the D to see if he could sneak it through, with the end-around as a backup plan if the box was stacked.

 

[folz]

8 hours ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

I will wait for an action replay, but I don’t think that is the safety.  I think that was the DB that had him in man coverage and that is the reason he is running already like that.  
 

I think he was following the motion and is just way behind the action.  
 

That was the speed of that play.  The DB covering McKittrick is already 1/3 of the field behind him at that point.

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/isaiah-mckenzie-moves-chains-on-14-yard-fourth-down-fly-sweep-bills-at-raiders

 

You're correct Rochesterfan. #26 (who I said was the safety) was indeed the right CB who is following McKenzie across the formation, but way too deep and way too late that he never would have arrived on time (to stop the first down). But McKenzie was his assignment, so makes sense that he would have seen the play the whole way, with his eyes on McKenzie. He does force McKenzie out of bounds, but after 14 yards and the first down.

 

#27 (the player I noted as the CB late to recognize the play), who ends up chasing McK from behind, was the outside left corner, lined up outside of Tyler Kroft at the start of the play. Looks like Kroft is his assignment by his initial reaction. And Kroft does a great job of freezing the corner by taking a couple of quick steps (to look like he is going out for a route) before he turns back to block the LB on the end of the line.

 

The DE and LB on the left side of the defensive formation watch the play run by them. LB lost contain, was slow to react, and gets blocked by Kroft. 

 

And the safety (#38) runs down to crash the line, and sees McKenzie too late, so has lost any angle on the play.

 

[folz]

6 hours ago, wjag said:

I hope someone can show a close up look at the handoff.  Talk about timing.  That was brilliant.

 

I can only add a couple of photos per post (due to the size restriction), so I'll have to do three successive posts to show the stills of the handoff I grabbed.

 

1.

2.

Edited October 5, 2020 by folz

[MJS]

McKenzie must get tired. He runs fake jet sweeps all game long!

 

Seems to be a big part of the offense. It's pretty smart. The motion helps determine what defense they are in. And since we only actually give it to McKenzie a couple of times a game, the defense is left guessing.

 

Anyone know McKenzie knows how to throw it? It would be cool to hand it off to him on the sweep and have him stop and hit a receiver (or Allen) for a big gain. I suppose John Brown could always do that. It would be a good play to get on tape for defensive coordinators to worry about.

[KD in CA]

10 minutes ago, folz said:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/isaiah-mckenzie-moves-chains-on-14-yard-fourth-down-fly-sweep-bills-at-raiders

 

You're correct Rochesterfan. #26 (who I said was the safety) was indeed the right CB who is following McKenzie across the formation, but way too deep and way too late that he never would have arrived on time (to stop the first down). But McKenzie was his assignment, so makes sense that he would have seen the play the whole way, with his eyes on McKenzie. He does force McKenzie out of bounds, but after 14 yards and the first down.

 

#27 (the player I noted as the CB late to recognize the play), who ends up chasing McK from behind, was the outside left corner, lined up outside of Tyler Kroft at the start of the play. Looks like Kroft is his assignment by his initial reaction. And Kroft does a great job of freezing the corner by taking a couple of quick steps (to look like he is going out for a route) before he turns back to block the LB on the end of the line.

 

The DE and LB on the left side of the defensive formation watch the play run by them. LB lost contain, was slow to react, and gets blocked by Kroft. 

 

And the safety (#38) runs down to crash the line, and sees McKenzie too late, so has lost any angle on the play.

 

 

Yes, #27 was the key defender on the play.  He was cheating inside, looking for a hole to stuff rather than attacking off the edge which would not help on a straight ahead run.  Once he realizes McKenzie has the ball, he's flat-footed and hopelessly beat on the edge.

Edited October 5, 2020 by KD in CA

[folz]

3.

 

4.

Edited October 5, 2020 by folz

[Bob in STL]

Great execution.  As previously stated, if this does not work then everyone is calling for DaBoll’s head 

 

Just don’t try this against the Pats*.   Bellichek saw it yesterday.  
 

Im betting he spent his Sunday off studying the Bills. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Bob in STL

[folz]

5.

 

6.

Edited October 5, 2020 by folz

[John from Riverside]

It looked like he was shot out of rocket.....

[Dr.Sack]

Definitely incorporated some of McVey’s gadgets from the week prior. Never a bad idea to use a gadget play or at least make the defenders defend it. 

[Kenosha2Buffalo]

My buddy who is a packers fan was amazed at the quickness and execution of that play.  Also said something along the lines of holy ... That guy is fast 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 10/4/2020 at 11:47 PM, Chandler#81 said:

Great still! Allen & the RB sell it with their body language and the LB runs with them. My favorite is the 2nd DL from the bottom popping into the hole created and thinking ‘I got this!’, then glancing to the left and seeing McKensie flying by . “Oh FART!!”

 

If you have insta, McKensie (@zee_thoven) has some clips of himself in practice. 

First, there's the dance moves complete with toe touch.  Got to limber up!

 

Then it looks like he is studying Stefon Diggs and Beasley pretty hard and learning some tips from them.  

He has a clip up where he just BREAKS Siran Neal's ankles.  Like "c'mon man, the dude's gotta eat!"

The following clip he makes a cut and slips and you can tell how pissed off he is at himself.

 

I wouldn't bet the rent against we see McKensie take a step.  Maybe not a step to star, but a step to solid on the roster.

 

 

[Hebert19]

That was as flawless a play as is humanly possible.  Timing handoff speed at handoff blocking.  Flawless 

[BillsShredder83]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:17 AM, The Dean said:

It was so fast I actually missed that it was handed off. Very good execution.

 

I have to say, I've always been a McKenzie fan. He brings a LOT of excitement when he touches the ball.

Yeah it was a really slick handoff. Joshs upper body was very subtle and it was done very close between the two. Enough to make the defense hesitate for a step. They've practiced that alot, can't believe how clean it was

[Shaw66]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:17 AM, Rigotz said:

That’s the kind of stupid play that would make fans say in 2019:

 

“What kind of stupid play is that?? A jet sweep on 4th and 1?? Fire Daboll!”

 

Beautiful when it works.

I think this comment, the "well, it's good when it works" comment, misses the point.  I think the point is that the Bills had done their film work and they knew what they could expect as a defensive alignment.  They knew in that alignment that everyone just had to execute routine, quick blocks.  They knew there was little chance that anyone would penetrate the right side of the line.  

 

Could it go wrong?  Sure - any play can go wrong.  But just like teams have two point conversion plays that they are confident they can execute, the Bills came into the game knowing they had a fourth and one play that they were confident they could execute.  

 

Frankly, I think one thing that the Bills counted on was that the Raiders had seen McKenzie in motion a lot on film, but the Bills rarely gave him the ball the first three weeks.  I think the Bills counted on the Raiders seeing McKenzie in motion and thought, maybe just for an instant - "decoy."  Then he had the ball and was at the edge almost instantly. 

 

The real difference that we keep seeing, season after season, is that the Bills execute better and better every year.  If they do something on the field, everyone does his job. 

 

Remember the play when the Bills were maybe third and three and Williams moved early?  Five-yard procedure penalty.  When that happened I thought, "man, that's unusual."  The McDermott Bills don't make mistakes like that.   So, when they execute that jet sweep on fourth and one, it isn't a surprise to me.  The call is a surprise, but the execution isn't.  

Edited October 8, 2020 by Shaw66

[machine gun kelly]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:09 AM, jimmy10 said:

There were a lot of great plays today, but the surprise, and the timing, and the effectiveness of that ridiculous gain McKenzie got on that 4th and 1 sweep was just stupendous. Not gonna lie, that made me jump out of my chair more than any other offensive play today. 

Jimmy, I was at the gym the other day and yes, Seinfeld was on one of the TVs while I was doing cardio.  It was the Jimmy episode and thought of you where Cosmo had those dumb shoes, and Jimmy kept taking about himself in the third person.  Thought if you bud.  “Jimmy likes the McKenzie end around.  Jimmy is very happy.”

MGK says have a good night Jimmy.

[jkeerie]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

I think this comment, the "well, it's good when it works" comment, misses the point.  I think the point is that the Bills had done their film work and they knew what they could expect as a defensive alignment.  They knew in that alignment that everyone just had to execute routine, quick blocks.  They knew there was little chance that anyone would penetrate the right side of the line.  

 

Could it go wrong?  Sure - any play can go wrong.  But just like teams have two point conversion plays that they are confident they can execute, the Bills came into the came knowing they had a fourth and one play that they were confident they could execute.  

 

Frankly, I think one thing that the Bills counted on was that the Raiders had seen McKenzie in motion a lot on film, but the Bills rarely gave him the ball the first three weeks.  I think the Bills counted on the Raiders seeing McKenzie in motion and thought, maybe just for an instant - "decoy."  Then he had the ball and was at the edge almost instantly. 

 

The real difference that we keep seeing, season after season, is that the Bills execute better and better every year.  If they do something on the field, everyone does his job. 

 

Remember the play when the Bills were maybe third and three and Williams moved early?  Five-yard procedure penalty.  When that happened I thought, "man, that's unusual."  The McDermott Bills don't make mistakes like that.   So, when they execute that jet sweep on fourth and one, it isn't a surprise to me.  The call is a surprise, but the execution isn't.  

Exactly, Shaw.  You trust this team above any other in years to have a plan in every game and on every down!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I'm not sure where the place is to put this, but I was watching the 3Q series with that play on the coaches' film.

Sure they converted that 4th down, but how did they get to 4th and 1 in the first place?  And why did they wind up punting afterwards?

 

Whatever the 3Q doldrums are for the Bills, it goes beyond Allen for reals.  His throws are just a bit off, yes - but there were catchable balls that hit the hands of Kroft, Motor, John Brown - balls they adjust to and bring in at other times in the game or in other games.  We need to figure out some kind of locker room change that will help these guys come out sharp in the 3Q because it's like they're coming out stiff and a bit tight, not locked-in.  They need to do activation exercises or ladder drills or toe-touch jumps (I wanna see Josh Allen do one of them) or something.

[Punching Bag]

On 10/5/2020 at 4:17 PM, MJS said:

McKenzie must get tired. He runs fake jet sweeps all game long!

 

Seems to be a big part of the offense. It's pretty smart. The motion helps determine what defense they are in. And since we only actually give it to McKenzie a couple of times a game, the defense is left guessing.

 

Anyone know McKenzie knows how to throw it? It would be cool to hand it off to him on the sweep and have him stop and hit a receiver (or Allen) for a big gain. I suppose John Brown could always do that. It would be a good play to get on tape for defensive coordinators to worry about.

 

He was in position to throw it in high school. Highlights of the "Human Joystick"

https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2020/04/29/throwback-former-uga-wr-isaiah-mckenzies-insane-hs-highlights/

[RyanC883]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:29 AM, BillsCuse said:

I loved that they went for it on 4th down at the 50 yard line.  They are so much more aggressive this year on offense and its great to watch

 

this might be a benefit to our D’s slow start is it shows to the coaches that we can be more aggressive on offense.  I think we had to there given how the D was playing at that point.  If we tighten the D and stay aggressive on offense we will be unstoppable. 

[NoSaint]

On 10/4/2020 at 11:17 PM, Rigotz said:

That’s the kind of stupid play that would make fans say in 2019:

 

“What kind of stupid play is that?? A jet sweep on 4th and 1?? Fire Daboll!”

 

Beautiful when it works.

Honestly, I have a hard time calling anyone but josh in that scenario...

 

but it’s not a crazy call. Just can’t swing wildly with the highs and lows of its potential outcomes. Enjoy It without calling it genius when it works and don’t kill them when it doesn’t. 

[Ralonzo]

(puffs chest) I've watched a lot of football for a lot of years but the execution of that play fooled me. Might be the fastest I've seen a QB take center snap and be rid of the ball ever.

[The Dean]

1 hour ago, Limeaid said:

 

He was in position to throw it in high school. Highlights of the "Human Joystick"

https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2020/04/29/throwback-former-uga-wr-isaiah-mckenzies-insane-hs-highlights/

 

Thanks for posting that. That is some nice HS tape there. Very entertaining, too. I will say, I'm not sure some of those blocks on returns are legal anymore. Nevertheless, impressive. Showed him at several positions, offense and defense. And the ST reel is very impressive, IMO.

[Punching Bag]

Just now, The Dean said:

 

Thanks for posting that. That is some nice HS tape there. Very entertaining, too. I will say, I'm not sure some of those blocks on returns are legal anymore. Nevertheless, impressive. Showed him at several positions, offense and defense. And the ST reel is very impressive, IMO.

 

Rules are different in different college and high school systems.

 

Yes him having previous experience on defense is probably they choose to use him in "bye" game last year.

[The Dean]

4 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Rules are different in different college and high school systems.

 

Yes him having previous experience on defense is probably they choose to use him in "bye" game last year.

 

Oh, yes of course. But don't NFL changes (for safety) typically get accepted down the line? Maybe not. But back then, I think those blocks were legal in the NFL, too. Not diminishing what Ike did at all. Just something I was noticing even before they happened. 

 

But I'm not sure what the bolded sentence is supposed to say. Then again, I've had a couple.

 

EDIT: Never mind, I figured it out. Shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. My bad

Edited October 8, 2020 by The Dean

[Doc Brown]

It even caught me by surprise as I was expecting a HB dive to Gore somehow.

[The Dean]

Just now, Doc Brown said:

It even caught me by surprise as I was expecting a HB dive to Gore somehow.

 

I know I already mentioned this, but I didn't quite know WTF just happened, after seeing it live. When I saw the replay, I thought for a second maybe it was a direct snap. Then I realized what exactly happened. A Raider friend of mine texted "WTF was THAT?"  Great execution.

[billsbackto81]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:17 AM, The Dean said:

It was so fast I actually missed that it was handed off. Very good execution.

 

I have to say, I've always been a McKenzie fan. He brings a LOT of excitement when he touches the ball.

Gotta say, outside of Singletary, McKenzie is the player I enjoy watching most when he's in the open field. Kid's a burner and always seems to get more yards on a play that you wouldn't expect.

[Big Turk]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:17 AM, The Dean said:

It was so fast I actually missed that it was handed off. Very good execution.

 

I have to say, I've always been a McKenzie fan. He brings a LOT of excitement when he touches the ball.

 

Yes he brings an element to the offense that is very needed...lots of motion, misdirection and pop passes and jet sweeps...adding him to the offense has really opened things up in terms of how they can challenge a defense.

8 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

If you have insta, McKensie (@zee_thoven) has some clips of himself in practice. 

First, there's the dance moves complete with toe touch.  Got to limber up!

 

Then it looks like he is studying Stefon Diggs and Beasley pretty hard and learning some tips from them.  

He has a clip up where he just BREAKS Siran Neal's ankles.  Like "c'mon man, the dude's gotta eat!"

The following clip he makes a cut and slips and you can tell how pissed off he is at himself.

 

I wouldn't bet the rent against we see McKensie take a step.  Maybe not a step to star, but a step to solid on the roster.

 

 

 

He is already solid on the roster. He plays a vital role in this offense that cannot be easily replaced by someone else. It's why I laughed when some suggested he would get cut. He had one of the safest positions on the roster, IMHO.

Edited October 8, 2020 by matter2003

[jimmy10]

11 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Jimmy, I was at the gym the other day and yes, Seinfeld was on one of the TVs while I was doing cardio.  It was the Jimmy episode and thought of you where Cosmo had those dumb shoes, and Jimmy kept taking about himself in the third person.  Thought if you bud.  “Jimmy likes the McKenzie end around.  Jimmy is very happy.”

MGK says have a good night Jimmy.

Jimmy appreciates you thinking of him.