USA Today

‘“I was like, ‘Ehhh, you’re a boy. I don’t know if I trust you with that,’” Rivero said lightheartedly. “He was like, ‘No, no, no, I have a great plan.”’

‘Allen was intercepted twice in the first half, but was otherwise impressive during the season opener, passing for three touchdowns and and rushing for another. Allen completed 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards, while rushing for 56 yards. Three of those touchdowns came in the second half, which started with the game tied 10-10 and ended with the Bills humbling Rams.’

‘At times the Bills looked spectacular Thursday night. And there’s room for them to get even better. Vince Lombardi Trophy-hoisting better.’

‘Von Miller: Appears he picked the right horse, the two-time Super Bowl winner – traded from the Denver Broncos to the Rams midway through the 2021 season and proving quite the difference maker for LA – looks like he might just be the final piece to Buffalo’s Lombardi puzzle after opting to sign with the Bills for six years and $120 million during the offseason. Miller recorded two of Buffalo’s seven sacks and certainly looks like the guy who might’ve made all the difference in the final 13 seconds of regulation in the Bills’ heartbreaking overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s divisional playoff round.’

‘The 33-year-old Miller, who has played parts of 11 seasons with the Denver Broncos, Rams and now Bills, has always garnered attention for his eccentric style. His postgame outfits routinely generate headlines. And Thursday wasn’t the first time Miller’s hair captured the attention of many.’

‘”The last 48 hours has been very difficult, for a lot of people. It’s been very tough,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said at a press conference Saturday. “We sympathize with this whole situation, all the parties involved. This young woman, what she went through. You really feel bad for that whole situation. Ultimately, this is a legal situation – we don’t know all the facts. That’s what makes it hard.’

‘“The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their young punter after so badly botching their response to our claim: they ignored us, as though what I warned them would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand,’’ attorney Dan Gilleon said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “This is what enablers do.”‘

‘It makes me wonder whether the team, co-owned by Kim Pegula, one of the highest-ranking women in the NFL, would have moved without the tsunami of pressure that unfolded when the allegations became public. If the Bills, who have made so many shrewd moves in building a Super Bowl contender, could have gotten away with keeping Araiza, at least while their “thorough examination” continued, it sure looks like they would have.’

‘Araiza was held out one day after he was named in a civil lawsuit alleging involvement in the gang-rape of minor last year at an off-campus party while attending San Diego State University. Despite traveling with the Bills and arriving at the stadium, he did not punt.’

‘“They didn’t do an investigation,’’ Dan Gilleon, an attorney representing the woman listed in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, told USA TODAY Sports on Friday. “I mean, you can’t investigate when you don’t even ask the primary witness what happened.’

‘More likely, the Bills started and stopped with the date when the then-17-year-old girl said the assault occurred. Because she said in her lawsuit that it took place during a Halloween party last October, when Araiza was still at San Diego State, it doesn’t fall under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.’

‘According to the complaint, the teen drank with friends before attending a Halloween party the night of Oct. 16-17 at an off-campus home where Araiza lived. She said Araiza, who was 21 years old at the time, gave her a drink she believes “not only contained alcohol, but other intoxicating substances” despite her saying she was in high school, the suit adds.’

‘What’s interesting about the doubleheader is that it bucks convention. The NFL and its broadcast partners typically don’t compete against each other in primetime slots during Monday, Thursday and Sunday night games. Yet, the games in this Week 2 doubleheader will have some overlap, with the Titans-Bills showdown kicking off at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and the Vikings-Eagles billing starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.’

‘“I was aware that they were being reached out to by other cities that have lost teams before. That is real,” Hochul said in an April 13 interview with WNYC. “They had definitely other options.” “My entire life,” she added, “there was talk of them going to Toronto.” And yet, the Bills have never left Buffalo.’

‘Diggs is just the latest wideout to receive a new contract, although he didn’t get traded to receive it. Just last month, Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins from Kansas City and received a $72.2 million guaranteed, and All-Pro Davante Adams got $65 million guaranteed after he was shipped from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders.’