The Buffalo Bills are coming off by far their worst loss of the season - a 30-13 defeat to the Miami Dolphins, who entered Week 10 with a 2-7 record.
Now sitting at 6-3 and in second place in the AFC East, the Bills have ground to make up as they prepare to host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a highly anticipated Week 11 showdown on Sunday.
However, hours before kickoff, Buffalo made a surprising and controversial move: they officially benched wide receiver and former second-round pick Keon Coleman, designating him as a healthy scratch.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the reasoning behind the decision, noting that it was not performance-related. Coleman had a strong week of practice, but the coaching staff wants to see more from him in other areas.
With this move, the Bills will turn to recently signed WR Mecole Hardman and Gabe Davis, who was promoted to the active roster to join Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Josh Palmer as the primary receiving options for star quarterback Josh Allen. Tight end Dalton Kincaid, who would have been a key target, was ruled out with the injury he sustained against the Dolphins.
Coleman has certainly been inconsistent for Buffalo's offense and hasn't taken the next step to become the top target many expected after his rookie season. Through the team's first nine games, he's recorded 32 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns.
Coleman's best game came in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, when he hauled in eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Since then, he hasn't recorded a game over 50 receiving yards, with his closest effort coming last week against the Dolphins, when he caught three passes for 46 yards and a score.
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