Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman takes responsibility for his benching and lost fumble

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman took responsibility for what led to him being benched for Buffalo’s opening drive and then losing a fumble two series later against New England on Sunday.

“Just got to be more accountable,” Coleman said Thursday when the Bills (4-1) returned to practice to prepare for their game against Atlanta (2-2) on Monday night. “Things happen. You just got to do your best to try to eliminate them.”

At the same time, Coleman showed he won’t let a few setbacks get him down by making a 2-yard touchdown catch in a late-game rally that fell short in a 23-20 loss.

”(It showed) I’m a ballplayer and that you can count on me to make plays when they need to be made,” he said. “But I know a lot of that won’t matter if you’re not doing the things you’re supposed to do on the flip side of that.”

Coleman said he and coach Sean McDermott are on the same page. And Coleman even cited the coach in saying he has to show a higher level of “maturity.”

In revealing Coleman’s benching Monday, McDermott used that exact word in explaining what he expected out of player.

“Growth, maturation, that leads to consistency more than anything,” McDermott said. “And like anything else, when you have winning habits, it leads to winning on the field. And so that’s really what we’re trying to create.”

McDermott and Coleman didn’t provide the reason behind the disciplinary action, which followed a similar benching during his rookie season last year. Coleman hinted it was the result of him being late for a meeting by saying: “Just knowing where I had to be and being on top of it.”

As for the fumble, Coleman accepted blame for that, too. He said he failed to tuck the ball before losing it at Buffalo’s 11, which led to New England opening the scoring on Andy Borregales’ 30-yard field goal.

The turnover was one of a season-high three the Bills committed against New England, with Josh Allen throwing an interception and also losing a fumble on a flubbed handoff to tight end Dawson Knox.

Much has been expected from the former Florida State star, Buffalo’s first pick and the first player selected in the second round of the 2024 draft.

His inconsistencies were apparent last year, when his production varied. After a two-game midseason stretch in which Coleman combined for nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown, he followed with a eight receptions for 160 yards and a TD over Buffalo’s final six games.

This season, Coleman opened with an eight-catch, 112-yard and a TD outing in a 41-40 win over Baltimore. He has since combined for 13 catches for 114 yards and a score.

Coleman said he can do better and is bothered by how the benching reflects on him.

“It is frustrating because you know you’re better than that as a person and an individual and you don’t like the things that it shows,” Coleman said. “Sometimes it might show that you don’t care and things like that. And that’s not the case.”

Allen maintains his trust in Coleman.

“I think he knows,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, this locker room, this team, you don’t ever want to let your teammates down. And I think he understands that, and he doesn’t want to let us down. We move forward.”

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