Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman dropped a TD pass
The Bills wide receiver has made progress throughout training camp, but there are still moments when he looks like a rookie.
ORCHARD PARK – Keon Coleman didn’t hesitate when asked Tuesday about the most discussed play in the Buffalo Bills’ preseason win at Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
“Just one drop,” Coleman admitted. “Focus on the drop. You’ve got to keep your eye on the ball and make the play.”
Coleman had a chance to catch a touchdown pass late in the first half against the Steelers, but he couldn’t do it. It was a quick slant from the left side, he beat his opponent inside, but a safety came up and Coleman failed at the goal line and the ball flew through his hands.
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There was a lot of talk about the play on social media, with many comments exonerating Coleman and placing the blame on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for not throwing the pass perfectly.
Sorry, but the mistake on that play was almost entirely Coleman’s fault, and the rookie receiver knew it then, he knew it after watching the film, and he was rightfully responsible.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I feel like I can catch any ball that comes to me, any ball that comes my way, honestly.”
Obviously, he’s evolved and views it as a learning experience, but it still bothers him that he didn’t reach a little further forward to catch a pass that any top receiver in the NFL would have caught.
“I think it’s more frustrating when it happens than afterward, because afterward you’re already feeling it,” he said. “Right afterward you’re kind of mad, but you have to get to the next play. When you watch the film, everyone in the room knows you have to get it. So nobody’s going to pick on you. People make harmless jokes during practice and stuff, but you have to get it, it’s as simple as that.”
Keon Coleman is working his way up the WR depth chart
The former Florida State star has had a solid training camp and has clearly worked his way into the top three of the wide receiver rankings, meaning he will get a lot of playing time in Joe Brady’s offense.
There were moments in the two preseason games, however, when Coleman looked like a rookie. Trubisky tried to hit him in the end zone twice in the game against the Bears, and in both cases Coleman was unable to break through and break away. On one of them, however, the pass was poor and he actually did a good job of preventing the ball from being intercepted. And then came the drop against the Steelers.
“It’s all learning experiences,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “I know Mitch will say he could have given him a better ball and Keon will say he could have caught it. If we can get a little bit of a handle on both of those, we’ll probably celebrate in the end zone and everyone will stay calm.”
Bills offensive coordinator has confidence in Keon Coleman
Brady, in any case, is not worried about Coleman.
“I love where Keon is in football right now,” the offensive coordinator said. “It’s obviously about understanding the expectations and everything. I understand why he was drafted and so on. I don’t always just focus on the performance in a preseason game, I see it every day in practice.”
Brady, for example, was impressed by Coleman’s competitiveness in practice, his sense of his tasks and his willingness to tackle what is probably the most difficult adjustment for receivers moving from college football to the NFL: blocking in the run game.
“If you remember Keon’s debut, he was one of the best blockers in the draft,” Brady said. “I’m not saying you draft a player to block, but when you have players that can do a little bit of everything, that can play receiver and block, it makes it a little harder for the defense to know where the players are and what they’re going to do when they’re in those positions.”
“Physically, he can do everything we ask of him. I have no problems physically. It’s just about him growing and gaining experience, how the game is played, how the guys are going to defend him and how they’re going to change things as the year goes on. I’m happy with where Keon is right now.”
Coleman made a big splash when he showed up at One Bills Drive the day after being selected first in the second round. He gave reporters tips on where to buy winter coats and raved about Wegmans cookies in the media room, and fans loved it.
It was fun, but now that the regular season is upon us, nobody cares about that sort of thing anymore, especially not Coleman.
“I don’t like to talk about the jacket either,” he said. “It’s football season, right? Since my first press conference, I’ve been all about football. You have to see the personality, but I don’t want to focus on the jacket. I think I’m pretty prepared, ready to go out there, start game planning and really play. I know what I need to do, when I need to do it and where I need to be.”
He’s absolutely right on that point. Now it’s just a question of: Can Coleman play? Was it worth the risk of a second-round pick? Can he help offset the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and keep the Bills’ offense running similarly to how it has over the past four seasons?
“I think his football IQ – and I’ve talked about this before – the way he sees the field is pretty exceptional for a freshman,” Allen said. “His body control, the way he can go up and jump and catch balls, you’ve seen that all camp. He loves this game, he loves being around his teammates. I’m very excited to see what he can do for this offense.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades, including 35 years as a full-time reporter for D&C, and has written numerous books on the team’s history. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @salmaiorana. https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
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