One Thing: Keon looked terrible yesterday

[GunnerBill]

15 minutes ago, Pete said:

 

 

This is an excellent breakdown. And that sideline play towards the end is yet another example of what I am talking about in terms of him playing to contact on the outside. When people said he doesn't seaparate we got told we were obsessed with 40 time. And sure, a handful were, I never was. I was talking about this stuff before the draft. Again in May. And again in October. 

[MrEpsYtown]

3 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I agree, Keon looked awful and kinda disinterested.   Denver plays a tough man to man and it's getting pretty clear that Keon cannot get separation.  Not sure how Brady can scheme him open?  I'm not loving having to toss him contested passes in a very close playoff game.  Sometimes those are picked and the completion percentage is low. 

 

Josh tears up man coverage as he did to the Lions a few weeks ago. The Bills will run a ton of mesh rail which is their favorite concept and Josh will throw to the open guy. If Keon is open, he will throw him the ball. 

[The Jokeman]

He put up better numbers than Xavier Worthy. Am I doing this right?

[BringBackFlutie]

1 hour ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

I find it extremely disappointing that he's taken multiple false start penalties this year, including one yesterday. 

 

Shows a complete lack of focus

 

To me this is the entire issue. Lack of focus. He doesn't seem polished and locked in on every play. I think it's just a rookie thing. We don't tend to draft players with poor work ethic, so I'm hopeful.

Edited Monday at 02:48 PM by BringBackFlutie

[YattaOkasan]

17 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

There were four downfield throws to him on the outside yesterday which he should have caught. If he gets 2/4 or 3/4 fine, but he came up with zero. And the reason is something that I pointed out on his film prior to the draft. When he is outside and he has a contested release he has a strong tendency to play to contact. He goes and feels for the DB and takes his positioning on the field off of that. This results in him losing leverage and essentially being "reactive" in the down rather than proactive and dictating to the DB.

 

It's why I liked him more as a big slot. Because when he gets free releases - as you do much more in the slot - he dictates - he decides where he is going gets to his landmarks and boxes out any defenders that come into his space out. He does not do that outside, he plays to contact. @BADOLBILZ and I talked about it on here mid season and he speculated it could be a hangover from his basketball background. I know zero about basketball so I will take his word for it, but it makes sense if it's a learned habit. It is why so often outside it looks like he has a defender draped on him. He doesn't separate because he almost isn't trying to separate. He is trying to feel the defender and play off him. I talked to another poster after the draft about it too but he is one of the only shows up after losses guys and I can't remember his handle. 

 

It is something that is coachable. It can improve. But it is a major factor in his lack of separation and so it needs to improve fast if he is going to develop into anything more than a complimentary piece in an offense. I am still where I was pre-draft with him. If you are drafting him to replace and upgrade on Gabe Davis, I'm in. If you are drafting him to be a #1 type outside receiver, I'm out. Which means whenever this season comes to an end, under confetti or otherwise, the Bills have to work out what to do with Amari Cooper and at that #1 outside spot. Because "Keon will develop into that in year 2" is going to be a tremendously hard sell to some of us. 

 

When you add the struggles in the pass game to two penalties for false start / illegal formations.... it was a very rough day for Keon. The success they had with him pre-injury was using him a bit inside or in tight splits and getting him in the middle of the field for catch and runs. That is what I hope they get back to in the playoffs. Forcing balls to him on the boundary 4 or 5 times a game is a recipe for failure. 

Great write up.  I appreciate how you note how release packages are coachable, as you have seen many Bills WR working on hand fighting over the years.  One of the traits the organization desires out of topics is coachability so I think Keon has a good chance to improve on his ability to release (Cooper could be a great resource for this if he sticks around). 

 

This game likely tells them hes not ready this playoffs for outside work cause hes cant release.  But he still seems to be a great run blocker to spell cooper some and hes pretty decent with the ball in his hands.  Also agree next years plan cant be to hope he becomes a #1 but I think Cooper has really liked his time here and will be up for an extension.  I think Keon has shown he still has a really high ceiling because of his athleticism but needs refinement (not shocking considering he played basketball into college and WR became the main thing recently) before he has a chance of reaching that ceiling. 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

It was a glorified preseason game. People are ridiculous. He’s shown some insane flashes this year. Grabbing Amari Cooper was a genius move so now the Bills can be patient. 

[oldmanfan]

Not a great game for him but I expect he’ll make some meaningful plays Sunday 

[CNYfan]

The San Diego kid who I comped with Keon (Q. Johnston) had a nice second year.  Maybe there is some hope.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

I'd like to see him come down with some of them, but if a ball came out on-time yesterday - i didn't really see it.  Couple others looked uncatchable.  

[Aussie Joe]

I still think he has improvement in him, but it will be next season…not these playoffs that it happens… 

[DapperCam]

Tbh I think he’d be better in the slot. He could run a quick route, turn around and box out the smaller slot corner. Almost like an inbound pass in basketball.

 

I don’t think he’ll ever be a great boundary WR, but he can still be productive and worth an early 2nd round pick.

[TheFunPolice]

I barely paid attention to the game yesterday, so I can understand a young guy not being as locked in as he should be. 

 

It happens (not that you excuse it or encourage it, but also we shouldn't overreact).

 

Just watch how different teams play once the playoffs arrive. Every player on every team can play, and with a trip to the SB on the line you get a different level of effort. Same with the NHL: Playoff hockey is a different sport. 

[MikePJ76]

28 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

It was a glorified preseason game. People are ridiculous. He’s shown some insane flashes this year. Grabbing Amari Cooper was a genius move so now the Bills can be patient. 

Im not saying he shouldn't have had a better game yesterday but much like the preseason the balls thrown to him were not very good.  Two of them were short.

 

You can count me on the ledger of not putting too much into what he does with trubisky or white.  If either one 0f them has to play the bills are cooked anyway.  They both look pretty awful to me.  Trubisky throwing anything beyond 5 or 6 yards looked pretty poor.

 

 

[US Egg]

42 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

He put up better numbers than Xavier Worthy. Am I doing this right?

What, you some kind of funny guy?…..oh, nevermind.

[JerseyBills]

2 hours ago, White Linen said:

I think we all knew he was going to have to work to realize his potential.  I still think there's enough there to remain hopeful.

And his mindset is in the right place, seems like he's going to put in the work to develop and improve. 

He'll reach the heights 1st rounder Kelvin Benjamin was supposed to

 

[Sestak4ever]

1 hour ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

To think that the chargers got McConkey one pick after Coleman is very infuriating.

Coleman may turn out to be just fine, but I was pushing for McConkey prior to the draft also.

[MikePJ76]

1 minute ago, Sestak4ever said:

Coleman may turn out to be just fine, but I was pushing for McConkey prior to the draft also.

that is anti what they did this offseason though.  They wanted size.  They have samuels and shakir to play inside.  they needed big guys on the edge for multiple reasons.

 

I bet they draft another big guy this draft in the middle rounds somewhere.

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

 

 

Yikes, this was discouraging.  

[warrior9]

1 hour ago, Gunsgoodtime said:

No we already know Rapp and Hamlin are backups pushed into starter roles.  That's exactly what happened 

Rapp has been wayyyyy mor than a backup quality this year, what? 

[T master]

2 hours ago, Dr. K said:

I realize he was being thrown to by Trubisky and White instead of Allen, but against a bad secondary he got zero separation yesterday. Two catches on ten targets. 

 

He's shown some real flashes this season, but I'd say I'm more worried about him and his prospects now than I have been before this game. 

 

In many of his catches this season he has had a lot of contested catches which doesn't involve any separation Josh throws it up high where he can go up and get it, Tribisky is no where near the QB that Josh is so i wouldn't worry about it that much .