Bills rookie receiver Keon Coleman had no one to blame but himself as he sat on the sideline during the first quarter of Buffalo’s game against Jacksonville, serving as punishment for breaking a team rule.
The details of the violation are not disclosed. More important for Coleman, a 21-year-old, was how he responded to being benched once he got on the field.
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he bounced back by scoring his first career touchdown and turning what could have been a bad situation into a memorable moment in a 47-10 victory on Monday night.
“It meant a lot. It meant I paid for the mistake that I made, and I had to stay locked in on the game,” Coleman told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “And when the ball gets called to go to you, do your job, make the play and keep pushing.”
Asked to run a deep crossing route from the Jaguars’ 24, Coleman lined up on the left side and cut across the middle, while teammate Mack Hollins took his route the other way.
As Coleman created some space from defender Montaric Brown, he caught a pass from Josh Allen at the 5-yard line and fell into the end zone, putting Buffalo ahead 20-3 with 6:19 left in the second quarter.
“Once I saw the safety was still in the middle, it was dealer’s choice with Josh and he just let the ball go,” Coleman said, giving credit to the quarterback for connecting perfectly. “That’s Josh. That’s what he do.”
His only worry was about celebrating. Coleman chose to roll the ball on the turf instead of spiking it, fearing he might lose the ball by tossing it into the stands.
He also reflected on the lesson he learned from accepting his punishment.
“It’s just wrongdoing. So you’ve got to deal with that,” Coleman said. “No man is bigger than the team. And no man’s one goal is bigger than the team goal.”
Coleman’s composure, followed by his touchdown, made an impression on the Bills (3-0), who are getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens (1-2) on Sunday night.
“He was locked in and didn’t skip a beat,” tight end Dawson Knox said. “There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs in this game. But the fact he was able to stay mentally into it, mentally tough, and be able to come in and score a touchdown, it was really cool to see the bounce back.”
Coach Sean McDermott referred to it as a “learning opportunity,” noting that the issue was addressed and adding, “I’m just very impressed with the way Keon handled it.”
A lot is expected from Coleman, who is used to waiting to make his mark in Buffalo.
Although he was the Bills’ first pick in April, he had to wait until the start of the second round to hear his name called after Buffalo traded back twice in the draft.
Coleman’s arrival marked a big change in Buffalo’s receiving group, which began when Gabe Davis left for free agency and continued with the Bills trading Stefon Diggs to Houston in April.
At the start of the season, Buffalo had only one wide receiver, Khalil Shakir, who had ever caught a pass from Allen, with the other spots filled by Coleman and new veteran additions like Hollins, Curtis Samuel, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Coleman made a strong first impression by showing off his fun personality during his opening news conference, where he gave shopping tips on when to find the best deals for winter jackets.
He made an even bigger impact on the practice field, using his 6-foot-3 frame and long wingspan to catch most of the passes thrown his way, hinting at his previous success—115 catches for 1,506 yards and 19 touchdowns—over three seasons at Florida State and Michigan State.
Coleman has five catches for 75 yards in three games. While he has been brought in slowly as a backup, his first career catch—a 28-yarder while being closely covered—was crucial for a touchdown drive in the season-opening 34-28 win over Arizona, where Buffalo came back from a 17-3 deficit.
“It’s been pretty smooth, just capitalizing on the opportunities,” said Coleman, reflecting on his first three games and embracing Buffalo’s passing style that shares the ball.
Now, he also has his first NFL touchdown, along with a lesson learned.
“It means a lot. On the road to greatness and things you want to accomplish in your life, you got to start with one step,” Coleman said. “So this is a big step on the road. Hopefully a long road.”
