The Buffalo Bills had a chance to claw back to six points against the Baltimore Ravens with a two-point attempt in Sunday night’s game, but fell short when wide receiver Keon Coleman was ruled to have stepped out of bounds before he made a leaping catch.
But the call sparked controversy, with replays showing that Coleman appeared to have been pushed out by a defender before re-establishing himself inbounds — which would have made the catch good and the two-point conversion stand.
Call Questioned After Keon Coleman Catch
The Bills cut Baltimore’s lead to 27-19 after running back James Cook scored on a short run in the third quarter, then had a chance to pull within six points when the Ravens were flagged for having too many men on the field.
The penalty brought the Bills to the 1-yard line, and quarterback Josh Allen scrambled to find Coleman streaking near the back of the endzone. Though Coleman secured the catch, officials threw a flag and ruled that Coleman stepped out of bounds and was the first to touch the ball, leading to a loss of down and a failed two-point conversion.
But the replay showed that Coleman was pushed out as he was near the back line, which would have made it a complete pass had Coleman re-established himself inbounds.
“I’m confused about why the officials took that 2-point conversion away,” noted NFL analyst Jon Ledyard in a post on X. “Coleman clearly is forced out of bounds, and he came back in and re-established right away. As far as I understand the rules, that should count, right?”
The call left the Bills trailing by eight points, and the Ravens extended their lead to 15 points with a touchdown later in the third quarter.
Bills Fall Flat on Defense Against Ravens
In a rematch of last year’s divisional-round playoff game, the Bills struggled to contain the well-rounded offense from the Ravens. Running back Derrick Henry surpassed the 100-yard mark within the first quarter, and quarterback Lamar Jackson beat the Bills with his arm and legs.
Despite Buffalo’s struggles on both sides of the ball, the missed two-point conversion was costly as it left the team chasing points in the fourth quarter. The Bills went on to score a fourth-quarter touchdown on a run from Josh Allen, but his two-point conversion pass was intercepted and the Bills trailed by nine points.
The Bills went into the game with a chance to seize an early divisional lead after the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots all lost earlier in the day. The Kansas City Chiefs also lost their season-opener on Friday, giving the Bills a chance to go a game up on the team they chased all of last season, ultimately causing them to lose out on the first overall seed by the end of the season.
The Bills also struggled against the Ravens in a Week 4 game last year, suffering a blowout loss only to come back and beat the Ravens in the playoffs.
NFL Officials Spark Controversy With Keon Coleman Call in Bills-Ravens