The Buffalo Bills earned a key win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, but the victory may have come at a cost.
Rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman was hurt late in the 30-27 win, going to the sidelines after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer. The hit drew an unnecessary roughness penalty that gave the Bills a key first down on a third-and-9, extending the drive that eventually led to the game-winning, 61-yard field goal from Tyler Bass.
Coleman did not return to the game, and the team got what may be a bad sign on his injury after the game.
Keon Coleman Suffered Arm Injury
Syracuse.com reporter Matt Parrino reported after the game that Coleman was seen nursing an injured arm, though the extent of the injury was not yet known.
“Keon Coleman has a brace on his right wrist. He left the game late after the Poyer play,” Parrino wrote in a post on X.
Poyer’s helmet could be seen coming into contact with Coleman’s right hand during the hit. The rookie wide receiver appeared to motion toward his arm as he went to the sidelines after the play.
The Bills had already suffered another blow to their wide receiver room after new acquisition Amari Cooper was ruled out of Sunday’s game with an arm injury.
Coleman had one catch for 21 yards in Sunday’s win and had another pass bounce off his hands near the goal line, turning a potential touchdown into an interception. Coleman also caught a key two-point conversion after a third-quarter touchdown.
The rookie has been one of the team’s top receivers this season, making 22 catches for 417 total yards with two touchdowns.
Dolphins Defend Jordan Poyer’s Hit
Poyer, who joined the Dolphins this offseason after spending the previous seven seasons with the Bills, said after the game that he did not intend to hit Coleman in the helmet. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said it was an unfortunate play but said Poyer needed to do a better job of making a legal hit.
“You have to play aggressive in this game for success,” McDaniel told reporters, via Syracuse.com. “I have no doubt that the intentionality was appropriate. ‘Po’ (Jordan Poyer) is a gigantic player for our team and has been phenomenal, really helping us take another step in how we prepare, how we play, how we communicate, all that. But he knows himself that you take it out of your hands and put it in the officials hands the second you don’t hit the strike zone. So if you hit the strike zone, it’s unfortunate, but if you didn’t, that’s going to get called every time because that’s against the rules.”
The win helped extend Buffalo’s lead in the division, putting them four games ahead of the second-place New York Jets just nine weeks into the season. The Bills are now perfect against the division this season, sweeping the season series with the Dolphins for the second straight year and the fifth time in the last six seasons.