Bills at Ravens All-22 analysis: Keon Coleman flashes in forgettable loss

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

It wasn’t a perfect night for Coleman, by any means — but there were promising plays

The Buffalo Bills lost a game by more than one score for the first time in roughly 682 years or so when the Baltimore Ravens punched them in the mouth on Sunday Night Football. In one case, it was more of an eye poke than a punch in the mouth, but you get the idea.

Was there any silver lining to be found in an otherwise forgettable night? I thought rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman played well, so let’s take a look at some of film of him from this past Sunday.

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Missed opportunity

This play was called back due to penalty but that’s not the missed opportunity. As an aside: I love the All-22 but there is a risk of “everyone looks like ants” from the sideline view, so hopefully this resonates. Keon Coleman didn’t come down with this jump ball, but I believe there’s some encouraging evidence to suggest that some will begin going his way.

Another missed opportunity, possibly

I don’t know if Allen would have found Coleman at the right time to make this throw, but I would have liked to see how things played out without the sack. Kudos to the Ravens’ defense, which rushed five so it was technically a blitz but more of a complex affair that the Bills didn’t pick up on.

Incomplete deep

In the NFL, there’s separation, and then there’s separation. Coleman didn’t getting the latter on this play, but with the accuracy of Josh Allen’s throw he created enough separation. Coleman also managed to make sure he wasn’t pushed so far to the boundary as to be forced out. Also, as noted in the GIF he did get to the right spot at the right time. What I’d add to the commentary is that Coleman did this with his head craned around, which made it easier to track the ball, but harder to track the boundary. It’s not unreasonable to think a little more experience will lead to him catching some like this.

Boundary reception

Allen went back to Coleman on a play similar to the incomplete pass above. Coleman again placed himself in position for a meaningful attempt at the reception. His body control was on display here to twist, grab, and touch down in bounds. Gabe Davis had a reputation for these grabs and knowing that every millimeter of turn is in play can be stressful to a defense.

A similar situation, another reception

And now dear readers...

We have a pattern. I find this intriguing because the type of play call here for Keon Coleman becomes very simplified. The play’s success hinges on his athleticism and instincts, with trust that Josh Allen can consistently be pinpoint precise.

Better than it looks

This wasn’t ugly, but certainly not pretty either. For Coleman this was a routine “find a soft spot in the zones” catch. The fun for me here is the turn and dive to get at least one more yard while he could, but also just stacking different routes in his psyche and those of defensive coordinators.

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The Final Straw

Keon Coleman took on a lot of Gabe Davis’ vacated role against the Ravens and, overall, he was one of the more successful players Sunday night. That’s not to imply that everything’s roses, as there were some common denominators with his targets that may lead to defenses keying in on tendencies. That said, there are some raw skills that should translate well to a player learning to navigate life as an NFL wide receiver — and that’s a sorely needed bright spot this week.