Bills reconsider, dump Araiza
Lawsuit reveals more on gang-rape charge
In the face of a major public backlash and internal questions over the decision to award Matt Araiza the punting job, the Buffalo Bills reversed course by cutting the rookie on Saturday, two days after a lawsuit was filed alleging the player and two college teammates gang-raped a teenager last fall.
The decision to cut ties with the “Punt God,” their sixth-round draft pick out of San Diego State, comes after Buffalo cleared the way for Araiza to take over the punting duties by releasing returning veteran Matt Haack on Monday.
The Bills opted then to keep Araiza even while being aware of the allegations made against him since late July. The team then stood by the player by announcing it “conducted a thorough examination” into the matter a day after the lawsuit was filed.
Araiza’s release begins to ease a crisis which has shaken the team, as reflected by coach Sean McDermott having difficulty containing his emotions Friday while discussing he was unaware of some of the revelations that came out once the lawsuit was filed a day earlier, and repeatedly said the team has work to do to get to the truth.
McDermott made the call to hold out Araiza from playing against Carolina.
A lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court accused Araiza and two teammates of raping a then-17-year-old girl at a Halloween party at an off-campus home where Araiza had been living. A San Diego police investigation has been turned over to the district attorney’s office to determine whether to pursue charges.
Brady makes cameo
Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to a field goal on his first and only series of the preseason and the Indianapolis Colts backups rallied to beat the Buccaneers, 27-10, in Indianapolis. Brady looked sharp in the hurry-up offense, going 6 of 8 with 44 yards while converting one fourth down on an 11-play, 66yard drive.
The seven-time Super Bowl champ, Mike Evans, Julio Jones, and most of the Buccaneers’ other starters then watched the rest of the game from the bench. Brady returned to the practice field Monday after missing the previous 11 days of training camp for personal reasons.
Matt Ryan and the Colts starters also played about one quarter.
Seahawks choose Smith
Geno Smith is the choice as the first replacement for Russell Wilson at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, coach Pete Carroll announced after Friday’s 27-26 preseason loss to the Cowboys. A rough night from Drew Lock, which included three interceptions and no touchdowns, wasn’t the deciding factor. “Geno, he knows our stuff and he does really well and he understands it and he commands everything that we’re doing,” Carroll said. “He’ll give us the best chance to play great football right off the bat” . . . Carolina coach Matt Rhule said backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzalez both suffered “significant” injuries in the 21-0 win over the Bills Friday. Darnold has a high ankle sprain, which is normally a 4-6 week injury. But Rhule said doctors haven't determined how much time he'll miss. Gonzalez’s injury appears even worse and there is a possibility it could be season-ending, though Rhule wouldn't specify what Gonzalez did to his groin while practicing kicks into the net on the sideline . . . Desmond Ridder shook off an interception on his very first throw to lead the Atlanta Falcons to their first home preseason win since 2016, beating Jacksonville, 28-12. Andover’s EJ Perry went the distance at quarterback for the Jaguars (0-4). He completed 19 of 27 passes for 201 yards, with a pair of interceptions . . . Tua Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for 51 yards on the first play from scrimmage, and the Miami Dolphins set a franchise record for points in a preseason game, beating Philadelphia, 48-10. Tagovailoa played the entire first quarter and finished 6 of 7 for 121 yards and a touchdown in three series. The franchise, however, suffered a major loss earlier in the day. Jason Jenkins, who spent nearly 14 years with the Dolphins and eventually became the team’s senior vice president of communications, died unexpectedly Saturday. He was 47. The Houston native is survived by his wife and three children . . . Anthony Brown threw for 256 yards and a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens extended their record preseason winning streak to 23 games with a 17-15 victory over the Washington Commanders . . . Two days after the teams were involved in a benches-clearing brawl at a joint practice during which Rams star Aaron Donald swung a helmet, Cincinnati beat Los Angeles, 16-7, in a game contested mostly by backups.