Buffalo’s Finger-Pointing Season
In Buffalo, tensions are high, and the blame game is in full swing. Owner Terry Pegula seems to be distancing himself from Brandon Beane’s decisions.
During a recent end-of-season press conference, which followed a disappointing loss to the Broncos and the firing of the head coach Sean McDermott, Pegula made some surprising comments about second-year receiver Keon Coleman. At one point, it seemed like he was throwing Coleman under the bus when discussing the 2024 second-round pick, who had been a healthy scratch a few times this season.
When questions arose about Coleman, Pegula interrupted Beane, the general manager and current president of football operations, to clarify the situation. He suggested Coleman wasn’t Beane’s first choice and pointed out that the coaching staff had pushed for drafting him. “Can I interrupt?” Pegula asked, indicating he wanted to set the record straight. He described Beane as a team player who had followed the strong recommendations of the coaching staff regarding Coleman.
Coleman has two years left on his contract and is the highest-drafted receiver for the Bills since they picked Sammy Watkins fourth overall in 2014. Notably, Buffalo made a trade with the Chiefs that allowed them to select Coleman one spot ahead of standout Chargers receiver Ladd McConkie.
After a solid rookie season of 556 receiving yards and four touchdowns, Coleman’s performance dipped to 404 yards and an equal number of TDs this year. Beane mentioned he had previously discussed with Coleman the need for maturity to maximize his playing time.
When asked why Coleman was benched during the regular season, Beane acknowledged, “Some of the maturity factors got in the way. It’s our responsibility to develop his talent.”
Pegula’s comments regarding Coleman seem to reflect broader conflicts between McDermott and the front office. Reports indicate a significant moment of tension happened about five weeks ago when McDermott expressed concerns about the team’s talent amid their struggles to meet Super Bowl expectations.
Beane shared that one of his biggest regrets was putting too much pressure on the wide receiver group earlier in the season, feeling they were unfairly targeted at that time.
Despite the challenges, Buffalo concluded the season with Khalil Shakir and Coleman in the wide receiver lineup. In a recent game, Coleman contributed with the only 10-yard touchdown reception in a disappointing loss to the Broncos.
Pegula and Beane attributed some of the loss to “bad calls,” specifically referencing a controversial interaction between Brandin Cooks and Broncos defensive back Jaquan McMillan. Pegula emphasized, “I did not fire a coach based on a bad officiating decision,” aiming to clarify the rationale behind the changes.
As the Bills look for a new head coach, Beane mentioned the impact that former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll had before he took the helm with the Giants. Following his release from the Giants, Daboll is reportedly a prime candidate for the Bills’ job, with Beane praising his strategic offensive methods. However, if Daboll does take the position, he may need to address Coleman’s issues—if Coleman remains part of the team after this tumultuous end-of-season wrap-up.
