Should Keon Coleman have caught it? How about we just stop talking about it
It was the preseason play heard 'round the world for Bills Mafia. Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who was attempting to play through a hamstring injury before being sidelined, threw a goal line pass to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman who beat his man with an inside release on a slant route.The ball wasn't caught. Maybe […]
It was the preseason play heard 'round the world for Bills Mafia. Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who was attempting to play through a hamstring injury before being sidelined, threw a goal line pass to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman who beat his man with an inside release on a slant route.
The ball wasn't caught. Maybe it should have been. In the regular season, I would expect him to catch it. With a safety crashing on the play, maybe giving 100% effort and jeopardizing his healthy in the second preseason game on a roster already decimated by injuries wasn't the best choice.
It's been debated endlessly on Bills twitter. Or X. Or whatever you want to call it these days.
Both Josh Allen and Coleman were asked by reporters about the play after practice today.
"I fell like any ball that come my way, I can catch it, honestly. It was just a drop, a focus drop, gotta look the ball in and make a play," Coleman said when asked about it.
"It's all a learning experience," Allen said. "You know, Mitch [Trubisky] will say that he could have gave him a better ball, and Keon's going to say he could have caught that. If we can clean up a little bit of both, I think we're probably celebrating in the end zone and everybody can stay calm."
The play didn't work. Sometimes plays don't work. Both parties could have done something better. As we head towards the preseason, none of the aforementioned Bills players are going to see the field again until the games start to count in Week 1. As Coleman continues to develop as a rookie, and as Allen learn his receiver's body language and timing, the two will build a chemistry that will make these plays less and likely.
But guess what? Plays like this are still going to happen. That's football. And the next time it happens, it might have an implication on an actual game that actually matters, not on the potential outcome of a preseason Week 2 matchup against backup defenders in a game that won't be seen or heard from ever again.
Coleman is doing what a player should do – always take responsibility for yourself. Now let's put it behind us and move forward.
Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady points to key area where rookie Keon Coleman can take the next step
Brady had a lot to say about his rookie wide receiver.
Follow along all season for all the latest Buffalo Bills news. You can also find me on X @JonHelmkamp.
