Keon Coleman, the promising rookie wide receiver from the Buffalo Bills, was benched for the opening offensive series. That decision was made known in the national broadcast during Sunday night’s game against the New England Patriots. Head Coach Sean McDermott stated that the decision was taken for a matter of discipline. He never did share which specific one led to the benching. In real life, the Bills ended up losing the game. They shot themselves in the foot on a disastrous exchange from quarterback Josh Allen to tight end Dawson Knox on their first drive.
Coleman entered the league at 22 years old as a second-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft. All season long Siran Neal has been a key player for the Bills. He had a clear and direct role — he’d started the last four games — and was supposed to be part of the upstart Eagles’ uptempo offense. At the same time, he stayed out during the six-play drive that ended in a turnover on downs.
Coleman began the game on the mend as expected, his return was swift, as he made his return within the second offensive series. He ended up with 42 snaps, good for 62% of the team’s offensive snaps. He was targeted seven times and caught four receptions for 23 yards with one touchdown. This particular performance is indicative of his overall artistry and talent for recovering from adversity.
The problem that ultimately caused Coleman’s benching arose from an incident in the week before the game. Coach McDermott speaks to Coleman’s maturation throughout the course of this season, while learning from past mistakes for which he has faced suspension. Coleman was benched for the first quarter of a Week 3 game last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to tardiness for a meeting.
“You see the growth, you see the plays that he has out there, but it just needs to be the consistent level.” – Joe Brady
Coach McDermott made a great point about young players needing consistency in their development.
“Growth, maturation. That leads to consistency more than anything, and like anything else, you have winning habits, it leads to winning on the field. And so, that’s really what we’re trying to create, and that’s what we’re here to do is help young men in this case grow and mature and develop and become professionals, and that’s part of the process.” – Sean McDermott
As Coleman makes the transition to an NFL pro, these disciplinary measures are learning experiences. The coaching staff is focused on his development. They are confident he can build on a strong close to 2022 and address the things he does need to improve.
Leave a Reply