The latest on Bills’ Keon Coleman injury: Dolphins’ Jordan Poyer defends ‘clean play’ on rookie WR

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Jordan Poyer was adamant that he should not have been penalized for unnecessary roughness late in the Buffalo Bills’ 30-27 win over the Miami Dolphins.

 

Following the Dolphins’ latest loss, the former Bills All-Pro went to the visiting team podium to discuss the penalty.

 

“What do you think? What do you think?” Poyer said to a media member after being asked about the play. “Just playing football. I thought it was a clean play. I felt I put my helmet right in his chest. Just playing football. It’s tough.”

 

Poyer added that he didn’t know what he could have done differently in the moment.

 

“What can you do? I don’t know,” Poyer said. “I felt I had a great post-break and he went up for the ball. I literally didn’t stop my feet. I felt like I hit him right where I was supposed to hit him. The refs didn’t think so. It is what it is.”

 

The officials seemed to make the correct call as Poyer’s helmet made a clear connection with Coleman’s helmet on the play.

 

#Dolphins S Jordan Poyer on his unnecessary roughness penalty after hitting #Bills WR Keon Coleman:

 

“I thought it was a clean play. I felt I put my helmet right in his chest. Just playing football. It’s tough.”

Keon Coleman was hurt on the play. He seemed to be motioning to his arm after the play and was removed from the game from that point. Post-game, Coleman was spotted wearing a brace on his right wrist.

 

Poyer’s penalty kept the Bills’ drive alive and helped set up Tyler Bass’ 61-yard game-winning field goal. The penalty played a big role in the Dolphins moving to 2-6 on the season, but head coach Mike McDaniel did not blame Poyer. He noted how important the safety has been to the tea, and that Poyer’s intentions were appropriate on the play in question.

 

“You have to play aggressive in this game for success,” McDaniel told the media postgame. “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.”