The Buffalo Bills suffered their first loss of the 2025 season in a narrow 23-20 defeat at home to the New England Patriots on Sunday night, but the loss wasn’t the only learning experience for one of the team’s key offensive players.
Second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman, who entered the Week 5 contest leading the Bills in receiving yards and offensive snaps, was not on the field for the team’s first offensive series against the Patriots. Given how the Bills have used him this season, it was an unusual development, but the team confirmed it was purposeful.
Buffalo benched Coleman for the first series for disciplinary reasons, with Bills coach Sean McDermott calling it a “head coach’s discipline.”
McDermott remained tight-lipped about the specifics of why Coleman didn’t play the first series. The coach confirmed that it was over something that happened during the practice week and that it was a disappointing development.
“Well, we expect more, and he has shown growth this year. He has. We’re looking for more consistency,” McDermott said.
The receiver’s benching Sunday night did not mark the first time the Bills have disciplined Coleman for in-season conduct. During Coleman’s rookie year last season, the team benched him for the entire first quarter of a September game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 2024 violation was due to not being on time during the week.
When asked to expand on consistency, McDermott elaborated on what he wants from the team’s top boundary receiver.”Growth, maturation,” McDermott began. “That leads to consistency more than anything, and like anything else, you have winning habits that leads to winning on the field.
“So that’s really what we’re trying to create, and that’s what we’re here to do is help young men, in this case, grow and mature and develop and become professionals, and that’s part of the process.”
Following the end of the first offensive series, Coleman was on the field for the first play of the Bills’ second possession. Even while missing the first seven snaps, Coleman had the second-most offensive snaps of the Bills’ receivers with 42, trailing only slot receiver Khalil Shakir, who had 43. Tyrell Shavers, who is primarily a special teams asset for the Bills, took most of the snaps on the first series that are usually reserved for Coleman.
Coleman ended the game with four catches for 23 yards and a touchdown, though one of his receptions resulted in a lost fumble that set the Patriots up for their first points of the game. Quarterback Josh Allen targeted Coleman seven times throughout the loss to New England.
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