The Buffalo Bills season was full of a lot of highs and of course a lot of lows too. They had many bright spots on their roster and a few positions they need to fix. During the summer, many Bills fans and media set expectations high for multiple players.
You can’t blame them, though, it's their job and they get paid to hype up players. However, when those players don’t live up to their expectations, fans begin to lose patience with them. In this article, we’ll examine several players who didn’t live up to their expectations.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid
Before the season began, there was talk of Kincaid becoming Josh Allen’s No.1 target. However, that didn’t happen, as Kincaid only totaled 448 yards and two touchdowns on 44 receptions. Kincaid was targeted a total of 75 times, second most on the team, only behind Khalil Shakir who had 100 targets.
However, if Kincaid isn’t producing that many targets, the Bills could go back to the drawing board. While not having a top-threat pass catcher this past season, the Bills really needed someone to step up, and Kincaid couldn’t do it. Kincaid will continue to have his opportunities, but he needs to capitalize on them in 2025.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver
When the Bills gave Ed Oliver his four-year/$68M extension, it put a massive amount of expectations on him. It looked like he would live up to those expectations a year ago when he totaled 9.5 sacks, 51 tackles, and 14 tackles for loss. Fast forward a year later, and his production dropped, seeing only three sacks, 29 tackles, and five tackles for loss.
The Bills need a dominant pass rusher with Von Miller aging out, and Oliver will need to step up soon. Oliver and Greg Rousseau were expected to be the two main pieces to the defensive line this year, and the Bills couldn’t get enough production from Oliver.
Wide receiver Keon Coleman
When the Bills drafted Keon Coleman over Xavier Worthy, he automatically had attention drawn toward him. Coleman looked to be getting his feet under him mid-season before missing a few games with a wrist injury. After that, Coleman looked flustered and confused on the field. On the season he totaled 556 yards and four touchdowns on 29 receptions. Coleman was also targeted 57 times and dropped four passes.
Now, the Bills are left with just as many questions as they were last year at this time, and they need to get answers. Wide receiver is the most important position they need to fill, and the Bills could add multiple receivers before the draft. Coleman will have some competition in 2025, which should do wonders for his development.