One of the most significant developments from Week 1 was the play and usage of second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman. Heading into the 2025 season, you could have made the argument that he was the league's most important non-quarterback as Buffalo's Super Bowl aspirations ride on him. The Bills need Coleman to become a more consistent playmaker after a rocky rookie season where he caught just 29 passes.
But we are already seeing the maturation and development of Coleman. And it only took one game. Not only did he lead the Bills in yards (112), but he also led them in receptions (eight) and targets (11). It was the first time in his career that he finally looked like the No. 1 receiver the Bills have desperately needed since the departure of Stefon Diggs.
Coleman looks much improved early on in Year 2
One thing is crystal clear coming out of Week 1 and it’s that Coleman has a lot more confidence to his game. He knows where he is supposed to be, and for the most part, he was on the same page as Josh Allen. Keeping his confidence up and nose to the playbook will be vital for Coleman if he wants to continue to have a breakout season.
But a lot of the credit for his strong performance against the Ravens belongs to Joe Brady. During Coleman’s rookie season, most of his routes and targets came as the X-receiver on the outside. He was tasked with beating press coverage on nearly every route and that can be extremely difficult for young receivers.
Coleman is already being used in a much different way in Year 2 as Brady did a good job of moving him all around the formation and getting him some “layup” touches early to get him going. Take a look at his receiving chart courtesy of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and you’ll see that the Bills used him everywhere in Week 1.
It's only one game, but #Bills WR Keon Coleman's usage in Week 1 was VERY encouraging. pic.twitter.com/8Vl9VxAxsX
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 9, 2025
The most notable thing from this chart is that most of Coleman’s receptions came on over routes and longer-developing plays that allowed him to use his size and build-up speed. Coleman is never going to be a supreme route runner, but that’s not what Buffalo needs or expects of him. Instead, they want to use his size to his advantage, and there were multiple times on Sunday night when he was able to sky over a defensive back for a reception.
We shouldn’t overreact too much based on what we see in Week 1, but it’s hard not to be excited about the potential of Coleman. He just looks like a different player, and the Bills clearly have a better grasp on how to use him in Year 2. If this type of usage remains consistent over the next 16 weeks, Coleman has a chance to be a real difference-maker in Buffalo, and he could be the sole reason why the Bills finally get over the hump.