AMAZING THROW BACK: Buffalo went on to win 47-10 while holstering a 34-3 halftime lead

There are plenty of story lines to follow along with when a team wins as the Buffalo Bills did in front of a national audience for Monday Night Football. The Bills destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that was easily settled by halftime.

Buffalo went on to win 47-10 while holstering a 34-3 halftime lead. It was a dominant performance evident of a team firing on all cylinders against a team that appears to have quit on the season after just three weeks. The Bills are now 3-0 with two big interconference road games on deck.

There were plenty of impressive performances from Buffalo’s rookie class this past Monday. Of course, almost everyone played well, but it was encouraging to see real contribution from top to bottom amongst the 2024 class.

In addition to on-field play, there was also an interesting development with Buffalo’s top overall pick, wide receiver Keon Coleman. Let’s get caught up with the latest contributions from this season’s rookies.

WR Keon Coleman

As previously noted, Coleman found himself in some hot water with the coaching staff. There wasn’t much in the way of in-game or pregame reporting done on Coleman, so it was strange to see him on the sidelines to start Monday’s game. That’s especially true because Coleman had accumulated the most wide receiver snaps on the team through the first two weeks.

We learned after the game that Coleman was held out of the first quarter for team disciplinary reasons. Coleman was temporarily benched due to not “being on time,” per Bills head coach Sean McDermott. McDermott did go on to say that he was happy with Coleman’s response to the one-quarter suspension and all now seems well. Nonetheless, you’d like for a team’s prominent rookie not to need discipline three weeks into the season.

To Coleman’s credit, he made a huge impact when he entered the game — to the tune of a 24-yard touchdown on a crossing route where he ran away from a Jaguars corner in man coverage. There’s an unfair narrative about Coleman that states he can’t separate regardless of the rep. Watching Coleman score his first touchdown is all the proof needed to understand that it’s perfectly well within him to separate and create for himself after the catch. He used his early leverage to stay one step ahead of the corner on a simple double cross concept. Coleman only had one catch for that touchdown the entire game, but he did only play 20 total snaps on the night.

S Cole Bishop

Bishop didn’t get into the game until the game was essentially decided, but he did play 14 snaps. Importantly, Bishop was active over veteran Mike Edwards as the team’s third true safety. There are flashes of excellence visible when Bishop plays, and you can see the athleticism pop off the screen.

Right now, veterans Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin are playing good football. But if either of them hit a rough stretch or obtain an injury, Bishop may step into that spot and never look back. It’s worth keeping an eye on if he moves into a rotation of any kind with either player before garbage time. It’s been all Rapp and Hamlin with games in the balance so far.

DT DeWayne Carter

Carter has been one of the worst performers on the team through three weeks of competition. That’s not to say he won’t get better in time, but there’s been nothing impactful or meaningful to mention of him. He’s seeing a high-percentage of reps in a split with starters DaQuan Jones and Ed Oliver, which is usually a more prevalent rotation in McDermott defenses.

Carter just doesn’t seem ready to contribute at a high level yet. If the defense lost Oliver or Jones, I’d be concerned about a replacement earning a high-volume of snaps. Carter has yet to make a move to earn more snaps despite weakened depth at the spot compared to past seasons. In 23 defensive snaps, he hasn’t recorded a statistic, and he’s fourth in the pecking order on a roster with only four defensive tackles in the room.

RB Ray Davis

It’s been the James Cook show in Buffalo’s backfield this year as he’s been given the majority of key touches to start the season. That’s for good reason as Cook’s been stellar. When Ray Davis does take the field, he’s given the football. Against the Jaguars, Davis played 12 total snaps, getting eight touches (7 carries; 1 reception). Davis also got in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown late in action against Jacksonville.

Davis’ best rep came on pass pro where he picked up a blitzing linebacker with stopping power and knocked him backwards into the linebacker behind him — which led to a double knockdown. More reps like that one will get Davis on the field regardless of how well Cook performs.