Isaiah McKenzie had just flashed his quick-cutting brilliance on a 64-yard punt return against the Raiders. The play on Oct. 1 was called back by a penalty, but that didn’t erase the highlight of the 5-foot-8 rookie burning down the sideline.
McKenzie also had broken a tackle just as he caught another punt in the third quarter, shedding the contact and tearing up the field for a 29-yard gain that set up a Broncos field goal in their 16-10 victory.
In short, the electric returner had provided fireworks. But as he evaluated his performance following the game, McKenzie landed on a seemingly harsh grade.