Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Bills Get Massive Injury News Ahead Of Divisional Round vs. Bengals

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated 1/18/23

The Buffalo Bills barely got past their AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins, during Super Wild Card Weekend. A shorthanded Dolphins squad, led by seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson, gave the Bills everything that they could handle in what ended up being a 34-31 game.

With the win, Buffalo is now set to host the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round. This will be a rematch of the Week 17 game that was canceled after Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.

The matchup between the AFC powerhouses will be a highly contested matchup as both teams have been among the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. In what is shaping up to be an explosive offensive game, the Bills received some good news on a key part of their offense.

Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie missed the game last weekend against the Dolphins because of a hamstring injury. The week off seems to have done him well as McKenzie was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and is on track to take the field Sunday afternoon. Adam Schefter shared the update on his Twitter account.

Bills’ WR Isaiah McKenzie, who missed Sunday’s wild-card round due to a hamstring injury, was a full participant in practice today, and is on track to play in Sunday’s divisional round vs. the Bengals.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2023

Without McKenzie in the lineup last weekend, the Bills turned to rookie Khalil Shakir as their slot receiver. He caught three passes for 51 yards but his biggest play of the game was a drop in the second quarter after the two-minute warning. The play was originally ruled a catch for a 54-yard reception but upon replay, the call was overturned as the ball hit the ground.

McKenzie operated as the Bills’ No. 3 receiver out of the slot for a majority of the season. While Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis did most of the heavy lifting, McKenzie was solid throughout the season. He caught 42 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns, adding nine rushes for 55 yards and another score.

Having him in the lineup will be a boost for the Bills as they will need all their playmakers available against a Bengals team that can put up points in bunches.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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