All-22 Analysis: Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Keon Coleman

I don't know about you, but I've been curious to see what Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman brings to the wide receiver department for a while now, so he was a natural subject for this week's game report. Just FYI, the short week was a bit of a dilemma, so I just focused on his five targets.

Game 1 – Cross and RAC

First off, I like the route combination that makes the defense a little hesitant. Arizona played zone below where Coleman crossed, and as the GIF shows, he was able to gain a lot of distance. If there's anything to complain about here, it's that Coleman seemed to slow down a bit to make the catch (watch his feet). That's a double-edged criticism because it means the rapport with quarterback Josh Allen needs to be improved on the negative side, and there's room for improvement on the positive side. After that, I like that Coleman immediately turned forward and showed good body control to force his way through for the first possession and try to avoid an unnecessary hit.

Playback 2 – Press and release

This was a good attempt against a defender trying to disrupt the route and manipulate timing. Here we see an attempt to force Coleman to the sideline (hold that idea in your mind for a moment). Coleman didn't let that slow him down, which is great. Even better, he jumped back fluidly and with great timing to get the ball. Coleman couldn't avoid contact, but tried to stay on his feet for a yard or two longer. Small sample size aside, in this and the previous clip you see a player who is happy to stay healthy when he can, but also isn't afraid to fight when he has to.

Game 3 – More of the Same

In this case, “more of the same” is not a bad thing. The route combination is highlighted again. Arizona arguably could have prepared better for this, but the play created real stress on that side of the field and left Josh Allen with a couple of good options for a quick pass. Coleman got the nod, and once again we see him fight for more yards (first contact) and live to fight another day (second contact).

Game 4 – Sideline

Remember that thought I gave you on holding on? Here, the defender was successful overall in forcing Coleman to the line of scrimmage. The sideline can become an extra defender, and at first glance, it looked like Coleman could fall victim to it. That said, if you have a great pass, there's always a chance. You're not out of bounds until you're actually out of bounds, right? Allen dropped the pass when Coleman had a chance to come back and set up for the catch, and I bet we've all seen that highlight 100 times by now. I love the body control and timing on this play. Coleman went from looking like he could be forced out of bounds to being almost completely free, and it was all thanks to a quick flick of the brakes and a backwards twist to get his body between Allen and the defense.

Game 5 – Nobody is perfect

On the previous replay with some contact from the defender, it was a clear win for Coleman. On this play, it wasn't much, but Coleman's route was delayed by the contact. I believe if Coleman takes one more step on this route, he has a good chance to score his first touchdown.

The straw that breaks the camel's back

While time constraints prevented me from going through every snap of Keon Coleman since his first game of the regular season this week, I still liked what I saw. Coleman seems ready to play and be a significant contributor to this offense, with plenty of room to grow.