The Bills lost more than a game Sunday. DJ Moore left with a shoulder injury before halftime against the New England Patriots, forcing a reshuffle at receiver while Buffalo tried to protect its unbeaten 3-0 start to the season.
Keon Coleman answered the call. He caught six passes (2nd career-high) for a career-high 116 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' 29-26 loss, giving Josh Allen a downfield option after Moore went out.
It was the sight that coaches, the front office, and fans have been waiting for.
"Just just staying in the game," the receiver said afterwards about his career day. "Game wasn't the greatest for us on offense, but we just kept putting the ball down. So I was able to go out there and make a couple plays. Good play called by Joe,
Josh just letting it go and, you know, I'm just doing my routine job."
He was also asked what it meant that he stepped up when his teammate went down.
"It just shows my teammates that they can count on me," he added "But, you know, all things considered, it's still a loss, so I don't look at it too crazy."
He turned heads early when he went up for a high-point catch on a ball in the first quarter that was above and behind him, as he made his signature turn adjustment coming back down with the ball secured.
Keon Coleman went up to get that one@NEvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
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Coleman's biggest sequence came in the fourth quarter. On third-and-6, he tipped Allen's throw skyward, tracked it toward the sideline and came down with a 22-yard gain.
"Really just focus the ball," he later noted about the heads up play. "Ball never dead until it hits the ground, so don't let it hit and that's a pivotal down."
KEON COLEMAN, WHAT A CATCH.@NEvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
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Later, the third year pro capped an 80-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown grab at the 4:27 mark, beating Charles Woods for a big score that briefly put Buffalo ahead.
He also shared when asked about the play postgame that he did not see anything out of the ordinary on the touchdown play to create the opportunity, but simply executed with efficiency on a deep post where he used a change in tempo then a rocker step to shake and break free from the defender.
"Ran my route, win, and then that was it," he said. "Seen Josh eyes, I was like, that's a boss."
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"Keon made some some big catches for us there on third down and we need more of that moving forward," Josh Allen said about Coleman's performance and role in the offense.
The production was Coleman's best since his 125-yard game against the Tennessee Titans in 2024. It also arrived at a moment when head coach Joe Brady needed someone to absorb Moore's missing snaps. The team downgraded Moore to doubtful as the game went on; his status beyond Sunday remains unclear.
Coleman played through an ankle injury and was limited in practice the week prior to the Patriots matchup, but rose to the occasion to flash some serious potential in the passing game.
Brady liked how Coleman handled the adjustment, even if the result left little to celebrate. “That’s the expectation of Keon — getting the opportunities and making the most of it,” Brady said after the game.
Buffalo's first loss was a black eye on their early season success, but Coleman's response when the receiver room needed him to step up was the bright spot for an offense that struggled to find rhythm in the contest.
Next comes an Oct. 12th road game for Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams, when Coleman could again be asked to share more of the passing game work load.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' Keon Coleman steps up to make big plays against Patriots
