FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With just over seven minutes remaining in Sunday's game, the Buffalo Bills needed to put together a drive. The New England Patriots had scored touchdowns on both of their second-half possessions to get within five, and putting more points on the board was crucial for the Bills with the lead in the AFC East on the line.

After quarterback Josh Allen threw two incompletions, he found receiver Isaiah McKenzie downfield on third down for a pickup of 17 yards. On the next play, they connected for a gain of 15 -- McKenzie had to stretch out near the sideline to make the grab and was slammed into the ground on top of the football, knocking the wind out of him.

Those plays fueled a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown scoring drive that helped seal the 33-21 win for the Bills and put them in the driver’s seat for the division title with two regular-season games left against the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) and New York Jets (4-11). The Bills (9-6) have an 87% chance to win the division after the win, per ESPN's Football Power Index, needing to simply win out to claim the AFC East.

Without wide receivers Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley after the two unvaccinated players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, Allen put on one of his best performances of the season, and McKenzie -- the outspoken, confident jokester on the team -- had career bests in targets (12), catches (11) and receiving yards (125). He also caught a 3-yard touchdown pass.

“I'm so happy for [McKenzie],” Allen said. “I've got all the faith in the world in him, and for him to come out and play this way the day after Christmas means a lot to him. But I think it means a lot to everybody on this team just seeing a guy like that who has his ups and downs throughout the year, loses the returning position, is sat for a couple of games and comes out ... I mean, he was unbelievable.”

It’s been a roller-coaster season for the 26-year-old receiver.

McKenzie’s fumbling issues, including a muffed punt against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11, led in part to his being a healthy scratch for two weeks -- games against the New Orleans Saints and the Patriots. He slowly started working his way back in the offense and made a brief appearance as a kick returner against the Panthers with rookie Marquez Stevenson taking over the primary role, but it wasn’t until the absence of others that he got the opportunity to show what he can do as a receiver.

“Never mess up again,” McKenzie said on his lesson from the benching. “Just learn to do my part, you know what I’m saying? Just try not to put the team in a bad situation whether it’s giving up the ball or penalties or whatnot. And just do my job the best way I can like I know I can.”

The fifth-year receiver, who was a fifth-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2017, came into the game with seven receptions this season and zero career games with 70 or more receiving yards. His 103 receiving yards in the second half were the second most by a Bills player in a half this year (Davis had 105 vs. the Jets).

One of the fastest players on the team, McKenzie had more snaps than any other receiver (85.3%) Sunday.

“I know he was excited for the opportunity and he gives us great energy,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I could just tell then during the week he was focused and ready to go.”

On Sunday, McKenzie was very productive on third and fourth downs (four receptions on four targets for 32 yards and the score). He caught seven passes for 89 yards and the touchdown playing in the slot.

Beasley, who could return for next week’s game against the Falcons, is the usual slot receiver and has been Allen’s second-most targeted weapon on third down (behind Stefon Diggs). But his receiving production, along with Emmanuel Sanders', has not been as significant lately.

The offense as a whole had a strong day with McDermott’s aggressive playcalling. The Bills and Patriots combined for eight fourth-down conversions -- the most since 1970, per Elias Sports Bureau data. McDermott went for it on fourth down four times, converting 3 of 4, the most attempts in his career. Buffalo did not punt the entire game, the first time an opposing team hadn't punted against a team coached by Bill Belichick (474 games, including playoffs). The Bills might not have seen the last of the Patriots this season. According to ESPN's FPI, Patriots-Bills is the most likely wild-card round matchup at 49%.

The Bills' offense is at its best when Allen has quick, downfield targets to look for, like Davis and McKenzie, who can help him improvise and create mismatches. Allen completed a career-high eight passes on the run, including two to McKenzie -- a significant part of the quarterback's strong performance.

“[McKenzie] is just like a little missile, man. Watching him run around and catch the ball and then bounce off the ground, that's probably the funniest part,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said of McKenzie. “He shows his personality on and off of the field. I am extremely thankful to have a guy like that as a teammate."