Bills QB Josh Allen says it’s ‘hard not to throw’ to this rookie WR after superb game

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was incredibly complimentary of Keon Coleman following his breakout Week 7 performance.

Kyle Silagyi | Oct 21, 2024

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Western New York has been actively anticipating a breakout effort from the Buffalo Bills’ receiving corps, a performance the group could hang its hat on and circle as evidence of the feasibility of the team’s ‘everyone eats’ offensive philosophy.

Said effort came in Buffalo’s encouraging Week 7 win over the Tennessee Titans, as four different pass-catchers topped 50 receiving yards in the 34-10 victory. Sophomore tight end Dalton Kincaid came up with a few crucial catches to the tune of 52 yards while third-year contributor Khalil Shakir reeled in all seven of his targets for 65 yards. Veteran wideout Amari Cooper, whom the Bills acquired from the Cleveland Browns just five days before Sunday’s game, also got in on the fun, catching four passes for 66 yards and one score.

And though all of Buffalo’s key pass-catchers shined in Week 7, rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman was perhaps the team’s Sirius, illuminating the offense by catching four passes for a career-high (and team-leading) and 125 yards. His splash plays came in the form of 44 and 57-yard receptions in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, with both catches seeing him turn intermediate initial gains into massive pickups thanks to his run-after-catch ability. He even had a particularly impressive one-handed back shoulder touchdown grab called back in the final frame, and while the points didn’t ultimately reach the scoreboard, the play still showcased the 21-year-old’s contested catch prowess.

Coleman hadn’t played poorly entering Sunday’s game (catching 12 passes for 201 yards and two scores through six weeks), but his performance in the Bills’ Week 7 win was undeniably his strongest as a professional. It certainly caught the attention of quarterback Josh Allen, who raved about the rookie after the game.

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“He’s a guy that wants the ball,” Allen said. “He’s back-side, one-on-one, he wants the ball thrown to him, and he continues to make plays like that for us. It’s hard not to throw it to him. Just staying in it, trusting the offense, trusting what’s going on, and he made some good plays for us [Sunday]. We’re going to need that going forward.”

Widely regarded as a raw prospect coming out of Florida State, Coleman wasn’t necessarily expected to take the league by storm and post gaudy statistics through the first few weeks of his debut campaign. He was instead viewed as a ball of clay, a long-term developmental pick whose production figured to steadily increase throughout his rookie season. We’re now seeing this idea manifest; between his personal growth and the strides the larger receiving corps figures to make as Cooper further acclimates to the team, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Coleman construct stat lines similar to his Week 7 stunner as the 2024 season progresses.

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