The Buffalo Bills (3-2) are coming off a disappointing 23-20 loss at the Houston Texans in which the passing offense looked anemic when the team needed a spark. The offense put up just 126 passing yards against one of the stingiest pass defenses in the NFL, but Buffalo’s offense also looked like it needed someone to step up.
On Sunday against the Texans, Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman led the team in receiving yards with 49, but all of that came on his touchdown catch that helped Buffalo come back from a 17-point deficit. Through five games, Coleman has nine catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns, something that many could say are underwhelming numbers for the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Essentially, Coleman filled in for Khalil Shakir, who missed the contest due to an ankle injury, as the number one receiver, but he was third on the team in targets with five. Despite the fact that Coleman is still learning the ropes as a rookie, there is one NFL Hall-of-Famer who believes that he is being used out of position.
“Their young rookie receiver, Keon Coleman, he’s a heck of a football player. I believe that they (the Bills) have put him out of position,” Steve Smith Sr. said during a podcast for Underdog. “Give him a mismatch against a smaller DB (defensive back). When he was playing against Jalen Ramsey against Miami, they won that game, but he was getting clamped down.”
It’s no secret that the Bills are trying to make the best of the situation with their pass-catchers following the departures of wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in free-agency. That has forced players like Coleman and Shakir into featured roles within the offense to various degrees, but there are some who believe that Coleman can be used in a better way to fit his skill set.
"I believe that they have put him out of position."@SteveSmithSr89 says the Bills haven't set up Keon Coleman for success đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/8vqDhbYswE
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) October 9, 2024
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