Keon Coleman
Getty
Keon Coleman celebrates after a touchdown.
The Buffalo Bills had a chance to claw back to six points against the Baltimore Ravens with a two-point attempt, but fell short when wide receiver Keon Coleman was ruled to have stepped out of bounds before he made a leaping catch.
But the call sparked controversy, with replays showing that Coleman appeared to have been pushed out by a defender before re-establishing himself inbounds — which would have made the catch good.
Call Questioned After Keon Coleman Catch
The Bills cut Baltimore’s lead to 27-19 after running back James Cook scored on a short run in the third quarter, then had a chance to pull within six points when the Ravens were flagged for having too many men on the field.
The penalty brought the Bills to the 1-yard line, and quarterback Josh Allen scrambled to find Coleman streaking near the back of the endzone. Though Coleman secured the catch, officials threw a flag and ruled that Coleman stepped out of bounds and was the first to touch the ball, leading to a loss of down and a failed two-point conversion.
But the replay showed that Coleman was pushed out as he was near the back line, which would have made it a complete pass had Coleman re-established himself inbounds.
“I’m confused about why the officials took that 2-point conversion away,” noted NFL analyst Jon Ledyard in a post on X. “Coleman clearly is forced out of bounds, and he came back in and re-established right away. As far as I understand the rules, that should count, right?”
The call left the Bills trailing by eight points, and the Ravens extended their lead to 15 points later in the third quarter.
Bills Fall Flat on Defense Against Ravens
In a rematch of last year’s divisional-round playoff game, the Bills struggled to contain the well-rounded offense from the Ravens. Running back Derrick Henry surpassed the 100-yard mark within the first quarter, and quarterback Lamar Jackson beat the Bills with his arm and legs.