Sean McDermott didn’t mince words about Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman, but the head coach also expressed trust.
“He – along with others – needs to step up and confident he will,” McDermott said Tuesday of Coleman. “And he’s moving in the right direction. You saw the production he had last week, the big play down the sideline.
“He continues to work on the other areas of the game as well that matter just as much as catching balls. So, his growth is going to be important for us down the stretch here.”
The Bills will need Coleman this week as they go up against the Denver Broncos. As things stood on Wednesday, Coleman is one of just three healthy receivers on the active roster, joining Khalil Shakir and Brandin Cooks. Receiver Curtis Samuel (elbow) remains on injured reserve, though he was a full participant in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
Bills receiver Keon Coleman stiff arms Jaguars defender Jarrian Jones on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Bills officially placed Tyrell Shavers (knee) on injured reserve on Wednesday, where he joins Gabe Davis (knee) and Joshua Palmer (ankle).
Coleman had one catch for 36 yards in the win over the Jaguars on Sunday. The reception came on second-and-10, and it moved the Bills to the Jacksonville 8-yard line. Coleman called it a “routine play.” And the Bills scored three plays later. It was Coleman’s only target of the game.
Overall, Coleman has 38 catches on 59 targets this season for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Close to a quarter of that production came in Week 1, when he had eight catches on 11 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Ravens.
Coleman was inactive four games this season – once for disciplinary reasons and three times as a healthy scratch. But Coleman believes he’s handled those moments well, that he’s learned from them, and that now he’s ready to go.
“There's only one type of pro, either you’re pro or you're not,” Coleman said. “So, I feel like I'm a pro.”
Coleman doesn’t view it as if he has anything to prove to outsiders.
“I don’t see it as a sense of that,” he said. “I know what I can do. … That hasn’t changed. The plays I can make haven’t changed. So, just be myself, do what I’m supposed to do, and do my job.”
For Saturday, Coleman is looking at it as “just another football game.”
While McDermott is saying Coleman needs to step up, offensive coordinator Joe Brady took a slightly different approach, one that he applies to all of his players.
“I don't need to see Keon do anything besides be Keon Coleman,” Brady said Monday. “I say that to him every week. Just continue to grow within the system, on and off the field. He made a big play (Sunday) ... Josh (Allen) trusted him in that situation.
“It's just like anybody in the playoffs, I don't need anybody to be extraordinary, I don't need anybody to do anything outside of just be themselves, just do their 1/11th and the job and everything will take care of itself.”
Coleman thinks that because the wide receivers work at each others’ jobs, that there “won’t be much slack,” even without premiere blocking receivers like Shavers and Gabe playing Saturday.
While Coleman has missed some time, Allen still thinks he has a strong rapport with the second-year receiver.
“I think chemistry is there,” Allen said. “Guys need to step up and that entire room has to find ways to pick up the slack where we are not going to have it from Shaves, and Gabe, and 5 (Palmer). But guys need to step up and make plays, and I have full confidence in that group.”
Still, Allen said he’s seen Coleman take strides this season.
“I think he’s grown a lot, just understanding what’s being asked of him not just as a football player but as a teammate, as a professional,” Allen said. “I think he’s learned a lot and been able to take it in stride, hasn’t gotten mad or anything like that. He’s kept his head down, worked extremely hard and made some plays the past few weeks and it’s really good to see. But like we talked earlier, we’re going to need more of it.”
Cooks, a 12-year veteran, has seen during his short time in Buffalo what Coleman is capable of and how he’s still improving.
“Man, I think his growth, his continued growth, since the moment I got here, the way that he's showing up early, he's sharpening his blade, getting more and more detailed,” Cooks said.
“The guy can play, I can tell you that right now. And so, his ability to continue to just grow professionally has been awesome. You know what I mean? And every single time that he gets an opportunity, he takes advantage of it. And that's all you can do and continue to just grow from there.”
“He – along with others – needs to step up and confident he will,” McDermott said Tuesday of Coleman. “And he’s moving in the right direction. You saw the production he had last week, the big play down the sideline.
“He continues to work on the other areas of the game as well that matter just as much as catching balls. So, his growth is going to be important for us down the stretch here.”
The Bills will need Coleman this week as they go up against the Denver Broncos. As things stood on Wednesday, Coleman is one of just three healthy receivers on the active roster, joining Khalil Shakir and Brandin Cooks. Receiver Curtis Samuel (elbow) remains on injured reserve, though he was a full participant in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
Bills receiver Keon Coleman stiff arms Jaguars defender Jarrian Jones on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Bills officially placed Tyrell Shavers (knee) on injured reserve on Wednesday, where he joins Gabe Davis (knee) and Joshua Palmer (ankle).
Coleman had one catch for 36 yards in the win over the Jaguars on Sunday. The reception came on second-and-10, and it moved the Bills to the Jacksonville 8-yard line. Coleman called it a “routine play.” And the Bills scored three plays later. It was Coleman’s only target of the game.
Overall, Coleman has 38 catches on 59 targets this season for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Close to a quarter of that production came in Week 1, when he had eight catches on 11 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Ravens.
Coleman was inactive four games this season – once for disciplinary reasons and three times as a healthy scratch. But Coleman believes he’s handled those moments well, that he’s learned from them, and that now he’s ready to go.
“There's only one type of pro, either you’re pro or you're not,” Coleman said. “So, I feel like I'm a pro.”
Coleman doesn’t view it as if he has anything to prove to outsiders.
“I don’t see it as a sense of that,” he said. “I know what I can do. … That hasn’t changed. The plays I can make haven’t changed. So, just be myself, do what I’m supposed to do, and do my job.”
For Saturday, Coleman is looking at it as “just another football game.”
While McDermott is saying Coleman needs to step up, offensive coordinator Joe Brady took a slightly different approach, one that he applies to all of his players.
“I don't need to see Keon do anything besides be Keon Coleman,” Brady said Monday. “I say that to him every week. Just continue to grow within the system, on and off the field. He made a big play (Sunday) ... Josh (Allen) trusted him in that situation.
“It's just like anybody in the playoffs, I don't need anybody to be extraordinary, I don't need anybody to do anything outside of just be themselves, just do their 1/11th and the job and everything will take care of itself.”
Coleman thinks that because the wide receivers work at each others’ jobs, that there “won’t be much slack,” even without premiere blocking receivers like Shavers and Gabe playing Saturday.
While Coleman has missed some time, Allen still thinks he has a strong rapport with the second-year receiver.
“I think chemistry is there,” Allen said. “Guys need to step up and that entire room has to find ways to pick up the slack where we are not going to have it from Shaves, and Gabe, and 5 (Palmer). But guys need to step up and make plays, and I have full confidence in that group.”
Still, Allen said he’s seen Coleman take strides this season.
“I think he’s grown a lot, just understanding what’s being asked of him not just as a football player but as a teammate, as a professional,” Allen said. “I think he’s learned a lot and been able to take it in stride, hasn’t gotten mad or anything like that. He’s kept his head down, worked extremely hard and made some plays the past few weeks and it’s really good to see. But like we talked earlier, we’re going to need more of it.”
Cooks, a 12-year veteran, has seen during his short time in Buffalo what Coleman is capable of and how he’s still improving.
“Man, I think his growth, his continued growth, since the moment I got here, the way that he's showing up early, he's sharpening his blade, getting more and more detailed,” Cooks said.
“The guy can play, I can tell you that right now. And so, his ability to continue to just grow professionally has been awesome. You know what I mean? And every single time that he gets an opportunity, he takes advantage of it. And that's all you can do and continue to just grow from there.”
