Trouble is heading for the Bills and Josh Allen. The QB finds himself without an experienced and competent wideout for the upcoming season. Keon Coleman was supposed to be the man for the job but it seems Allen will have to settle for someone else, given Coleman’s underwhelming preseason display.
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Coleman, who impressed earlier this off-season during the OTAs and training camp, had an eye-opening experience during two preseason games.
He ran 32 passing plays and was targeted six times. However, he only caught two passes for 20 yards and has yet to catch a ball in the end zone.
Buffalo Bills rookie WR Keon Coleman has run 32 routes this preseason, per @TruMediaSports.
The results:
– 6 targets
– 2 receptions
– 20 yardsColeman is 0/3 on end zone targets. You can watch those here: pic.twitter.com/7UZe26zyrK
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 18, 2024
During the last game against the Steelers, he caught one pass for 12 yards but failed to grab onto an end zone pass thrown by Trubisky in the second half.
Recognizing the need for additional reps, McDermott extended Coleman’s playing time, allowing him to participate with both the first and second teams.
While these are great signs for a team already struggling with a lack of quality in their receiving room, these are still early days. Preseason games are there to help players catch up to the speed of the league and assess their weaknesses. With regular snaps in a proper first-team offense, he will continue to improve.
What’s next for the Bills?
If the team cannot depend on Coleman like they thought they could, they will be in big trouble. While the Bills may not miss Stefon Diggs’s behavioral issues, they would certainly miss his production on the pitch as the franchise doesn’t have much quality in their ranks.
There is no standout performer who could be the WR1. There are different players with different skill sets. The likes of Marques Valdes Scantling, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Mack Hollins are names that don’t generate any excitement or create fear among the DBs.
Many expect the Bills to make another deep run into the playoffs, but it won’t be surprising if they finish the season behind the Jets and the Dolphins. As good as Josh Allen is, he isn’t Patrick Mahomes and Sean McDermott isn’t Andy Reid.
