Category: PostSports

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WROC) — Every time the Bills find themselves in the end zone at St John Fisher University, they’re not alone for long. Group celebrations are the standard, the entire team acting like a five-yard score in training camp is a game-winning touchdown.

It’s something Joe Brady implemented last year when he took over the offense, to have the team celebrate their wins together. 

“You’re scoring some touchdowns, and you see James Cook on a passing touchdown and James Cook, Dion [Dawkins], Josh [Allen]” said Brady. That speaks so loudly to me seeing those guys celebrate and have fun.”

“It’s not easy to score touchdowns in this league as all know,” Allen said. “When we get in there, let’s celebrate. It’s a big moment that helps our team win football games. We should be excited about though.”

“You practice every habit that you have,” Allen added. “Having a habit of practicing going out there and celebrating, celebrating with your teammates, most importantly.”

Brady isn’t the biggest fan of TikTok dances in the end zone, but he loves seeing a good offensive linemen spike– even though those linemen at times might not appreciate the celebration philosophy.

“I remember when I took over last year, the first red zone practice we had that week, the Jets week, I think our O-line was gassed for the amount that I was making them run to go celebrate with the guys,” said Brady. “You saw that first game, Khalil Shakir scoring or Ty Johnson scoring and just seeing those guys run and celebrate with them and it’s important. It might not look like it, but it is.”

Brady says the sign of a good offensive lineman spike is when the ball flies off the screen when they watch the play back in the film room, something he wants to see happen many times when the touchdowns actually start to count. 

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Von Miller says he feels like his old dominant self again.

And this time the NFL’s active leader in sacks means it.

After spending last season trying to convince himself he had the ability to fully overcome major knee surgery in less than a year, the Buffalo Bills edge rusher arrived at training camp this week determined, upbeat and motivated to show he hasn’t lost a step.

“I haven’t felt like this in two years,” Miller said Thursday, following Buffalo’s second day of training camp. “I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go. And I’m fired up that I didn’t have the type of production that I wanted last year.”

Zero sacks in 14 games, including playoffs, is not any easy number to digest for a 35-year-old who has spent his 13-year NFL career priding himself on winning, consistency and work ethic.

“I’m Von Miller. I’m kind of measured by sacks,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said, shaking his head and chuckling. “But I didn’t get any last year. I made three tackles.”

However much Miller second-guessed whether it might have been better to have taken all of last season off, he leans on the experience and lack of production as fuel.

Driving his confidence further is having spent the entire offseason focusing solely on training rather than rehabbing.

The brace Miller wore on his right knee last year is gone. So are the worries he played with, which led to Miller limiting or eliminating pass rush moves that might expose his right leg to being hit. It wasn’t until the final weeks of the season and playoffs when he said he started playing with more freedom.

“I learned you can’t force things. And I think as a football player in my whole entire life, you just try to make things happen,” Miller said. “At times, it’s been great for me. But at times, like last year, it just wasn’t working for me,” he added. “I think just being able to separate rehab and football, and just be able to focus on football, will be able to pay off for me in the regular season.”

There’s plenty riding on Miller re-establishing himself in Buffalo, where in his first season in 2022 he had a team-leading eight sacks in 11 games before injuring his right knee during a win at Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Buffalo’s defense relies on its front four to generate pressure and free up its linebackers and secondary to drop back in coverage or send a blitzer in passing situations. The pass rush could also use a boost to replace the free agency loss of Leonard Floyd, who led the team with 10 1/2 sacks last season.

In Miller’s case, his future in Buffalo — and perhaps the NFL — could depend on him rebounding. Though entering the third year of a six-year $120 million contract, his salary cap number jumps by nearly $9 million in 2025, which could make him unaffordable for the Bills.

Miller took that into account this offseason by restructuring his contract to help reduce the team’s salary cap total.

Coach Sean McDermott accepted Miller’s limitations last season by noting it takes most players two years to fully recover from knee surgery.

“That’s going to be the challenge. But that’s what Von’s here to do,” McDermott said. “I know he’s worked hard in the offseason, and that’ll be a big piece for us as we move forward up front.”

Miller has plenty to motivate him, ranging from personal pride to Hall of Fame aspirations and where he currently ranks on the NFL sacks list.

With 123 1/2 sacks, Miller ranks 19th overall, and is 15 away from moving into 10th, ahead of Richard Dent and John Randle. Miller was already looking at 15 sacks as a goal last season before finishing with none.

Buffalo’s opener against Arizona on Sept. 8 will mark 665 days since Miller had his most recent sack in a 33-30 overtime loss to Minnesota on Nov. 13, 2022.

Suddenly, a defensive play that helped establish Miller’s reputation has become elusive, leaving him eagerly looking forward to getting his next sack.

“I feel like each and every sack that I make from here on out will be so special,” Miller said. “Whether it’s one, whether it’s two, whether it’s 15, each one would mean the world to me.”

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Bills continued training camp with their second practice at St. John Fisher University on Thursday. Here are four observations from the session.

Wide array of WR options

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady emphasized the “everybody eats” ethos of his scheme in the spring. Coach Sean McDermott used another culinary metaphor to describe the Bills sorting their options in replacing primary receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis with an eclectic collection of veteran additions and top draft pick Keon Coleman.

“It’s kind of like you open the door to your silverware drawer at home and you’re like, OK tell me what this does,” McDermott said before the first practice of camp. “We don’t really know what we have. But we know what we have. And it’s interesting to see they’re a very diverse group. I know a lot of people talk about we don’t have a true No. 1 and this and that. I think these guys will rise to the occasion.”

After a number of different receivers shined during red zone drills in the first practice, on Thursday two players the Bills added early in free agency rose to the occasion.

Mack Hollins, acquired in part because of his special teams ability, first drew attention by taping his toes before warming up barefoot, along with his flowing fringed t-shirt hanging below his camp jersey and matching his hairstyle. Hollins later used his 6-foot-4 frame to make a pair of deep catches from quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky.

Curtis Samuel, the new receiver most likely to replicate Diggs’ usage in Brady’s egalitarian offense, had a long-gainer on a play where Allen scrambled to his right and threw the ball back toward the other side of the field.

“Right now we’re kind of in the process of just trying to see what all of our guys can do,” Brady said. “I’m so excited about the group that we have, the tight ends and the receivers, because it’s so many different skill sets. And you hope that that versatility allows it to play a little harder on defenses to defend.”

Back end rotation

As the Bills move on from mainstays Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde at the safety position, Taylor Rapp appears to be in line for one of the starting spots in his second year with the team. On the first day of camp, Damar Hamlin, now entering his fourth season, practiced with the first team following a strong effort in the spring.

Free agent acquisition Mike Edwards, who sat out minicamp and much of the OTA work due to injury, got his chance alongside Rapp on Thursday.

“The intention was to have Mike out there with the first group through the spring, the duration of it,” McDermott said. “But he missed really most of the spring if not all of it. So, again, that’ll be a chance for us this morning to look at Mike and see how he’s doing.”

Hamlin, who at this time a year ago was still progressing toward his first contact practice since going into cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati, continued to impress when he was able to get in the backfield for what would have been a sack during one of his few reps with the starting defense. Second-round pick Cole Bishop also got a brief look with the starting unit.

Injury-free

Knock on wood.

The Bills opened camp without any players on the physically unable to perform list. So far there have been no injuries of note in practice.

Linebacker Matt Milano was a full participant on consecutive days in his return from a broken leg that kept him out of OTA sessions. While wearing a sleeve on his right leg, Milano appears to be moving like his All-Pro self. Not requiring a rest day after his first full practice since the injury is another encouraging sign.

Allen provided a brief scare when he went to the sideline for trainers to look at his lower leg area. But the star quarterback quickly returned to the field and soon after sprinted to the end zone after tailback James Cook broke off a big a long run. Defensive back Cam Lewis also returned to practice after getting some attention from the trainers.

Fumbles

The Bills put the ball on the grass a few too many times for a day with no rain. Rookie running back Ray Davis dropped a pitch early on. Dawson Knox dropped a routine pass. Keon Coleman had the ball punched out after making a grab in the slot, though it was unclear whether it was an incomplete pass or a fumble. Josh Allen and new center Connor McGovern botched an exchange in the same series.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The shouts and laughs of children along with the thuds of soccer balls against shoes were prominent Wednesday night around Buffalo’s Roosevelt Park, and two voices with a unique perspective on the fun stood out most as they conducted the session.

As coach-mentors in the Soccer for Success program, Breanna Michaloski and Arrad Tausif teach the beautiful game to children in kindergarten through eighth grade, but their lessons go beyond the pitch. The pair of 21-year-olds also connect with kids on a deeper level, getting to know them and helping provide an educational, fun-filled escape for a few hours each week.

Michaloski and Tausif love what they do, and for a meaningful reason: they were once the same kids they now mentor.

“This is a perfect opportunity,” said Michaloski, who took part in Soccer for Success for multiple years as a child. “(My old coaches) really got me into the game, and I was very competitive. … I still enjoy playing soccer, but I thought coaching would be better for me because I can kind of get more engaged with the kids and have connections. It’s a really good thing for kids to have a mentor.”

Breanna Michaloski and Arrad Tausif at Wednesday night’s Soccer for Success session at Roosevelt Park in Buffalo. Photo: Adam Gorski/WIVB

Soccer for Success, which is put on by the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Independent Health, launched in 2012 in Buffalo and has continued to grow and attract kids over the past decade. The program is free for elementary and middle school-aged kids and just requires an online registration. Outdoor and indoor seasons at locations around Buffalo and Lackawanna give participants the chance to keep playing year-round under the supervision of nationally trained coach-mentors.

Both Michaloski and Tausif have their own stories on how they got involved with Soccer for Success as kids, with the former saying she lived across the street from a park where the program held sessions, and she decided to go check it out. Soon thereafter, she was signed up and participating.

Tausif heard about the program through his sister in seventh grade, and as someone who wasn’t involved with many sports, decided to give it a shot. It turned out to be not just a solution to boredom, but the perfect environment to learn and meet new friends.

“Typically, other than that program, I had nothing to do all day,” Tausif said. “So for over 60 minutes, three times a week, I had some people to play with. It was awesome, it was a great experience.”

Years after their Soccer for Success playing days, Michaloski and Tausif are following in the footsteps of their past coach-mentors, which they described as key parts of the program both in their own experiences and in general. In addition to the two of them, three other coach-mentors currently in the program also took part in it as kids.

“It’s the people that work it,” said Michaloski on what makes the program so special. “Getting to know (the kids’) personalities and also teaching social skills and soccer skills altogether, and just having a fun time. … The kids especially (make it special), we can’t have a soccer program without them showing up.”

Soccer for Success participants execute passing drills during Wednesday night’s session at Roosevelt Park. Photo: Adam Gorski/WIVB

Soccer has continued to grow in America over the past decade, as the U.S. will joint-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Locally, a professional United Soccer League Championship team could be playing in Buffalo that same year. While Soccer for Success is fostering the next generation of players that may one day be on the international stage, it’s also providing safe spaces for children to meet new friends, learn life skills and simply enjoy time outdoors.

For Tausif, that distinction makes a world of difference.

“It comes down to the coaches and the environment that’s created here,” he said.

“For travel soccer, it’s very serious and very intense — not that this isn’t intense, it does get very, very serious at times — but there’s also a sense of ‘I can mentor these kids.’ They’ll come to me for advice. We don’t just talk to them about soccer, we also talk about other topics and day-to-day life. I think that’s what keeps on bringing kids back.”

You can find out more information about Soccer for Success, as well as how to register, here.

When Emma Weber swims for gold in Paris, she’ll be powered by Buffalo roots and an Olympic pedigree.

The 20-year-old University of Virginia swimmer was born in Colorado but refers to Buffalo as a second home. Her family made the pilgrimage to Western New York each summer, and the memories made a lasting impression.

“When we were younger, my brother and I would get mad at our parents for not raising us in Buffalo,” Weber told WIVB News 4 ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony. “To us, Buffalo was and still is a very special place.”

A sizeable cheering section of friends and family in Western New York will be glued to the TV on Sunday when Emma’s heats begin in the 100-meter breaststroke. The semifinals are scheduled for later Sunday, with the final at 3:25 p.m. (EST) Monday.

An Olympic medal would be the crown jewel in the family’s sporting legacy. Weber’s great-grandmother, Louise Weigel, was a Buffalo native who competed for the U.S. in figure skating at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics and again in Germany in 1936. Louise’s sister, Estelle, also competed in 1936, though neither brought home a medal. The siblings and another sister, Mary, were posthumously inducted to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame as a trio in 2018.

Weber’s parents, Kurt and Deirdra, grew up in Buffalo but moved out west for Kurt’s job with Boston Beer Company. They brought the kids home for the holidays and extended trips during summer vacation.

“Buffalo holds most of my childhood memories, all of my family, and many of my best friends,” Weber said. “Since birth my partners have made sure that that community of people they love in Buffalo were prevalent and well-integrated into me and my brother (Reid)’s life. My family and my family’s community of people in Buffalo are what makes Buffalo so special and a home in my eyes. I think not growing up in Buffalo made me appreciate the power and importance of family and lifelong friendships.”

Weber got her start in the pool at Country Club of Buffalo at age 2 or 3. She later swam with the Tonawanda Titans and Star Swimming during trips home before becoming a Colorado high school state champion and a member of the U.S. Junior National Team.

To qualify for Paris, Weber needed the best performance of her life. The women’s 100-meter breaststroke final at U.S. Olympic Trials featured a decorated field that included current world-record holder Lilly King, reigning Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby, and a slew of other Olympic medalists and NCAA champions.

Weber was fourth at the turn but stormed down the final 50 meters to finish second, outstretching her 6-foot frame to touch the wall a quarter of a second before Jacoby. Weber’s jaw dropped when she saw the scoreboard, knowing her finish was good enough to send her to the Olympics. King swam over from the next lane to offer a celebratory hug.

“If you have the swim of your life, you can make it. And that’s what happened,” Weber’s mother, Deirdra Pottle Weber said. “It’s still a pinch-me moment.”

As Weber’s reaction indicated, qualifying was a bit of a surprise. She and her friends had planned to go to Paris as spectators to support their college teammates. Weber’s plane ticket was already booked when she learned she’d be going to compete, instead.

“I did buy swim tickets for the 100 breaststroke so she could watch it,” Pottle Weber said. “Now, I have the tickets to watch her swim.”

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WROC) — As the Bills begin training camp at St. John Fisher, there are a whole lot of new faces to learn.

“That’s kind of life in the NFL,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “It’s a new year every season and a new team every year.”

But this team is a lot newer than in the past. After years of continuity, just 63% of the roster returns from last year, the 7th biggest turnover in the league, and there’s no better time to get to know your teammates than training camp.

“There are many steps between where we are now and where we’re trying to get to a football team and as an organization, and this is a critical first step,” said McDermott. “Coming to camp and really winning this first step at camp and accomplishing the goals we want to accomplish.”

“Leaning into each other and sitting by different people at dinner and talking and discussing family and life off the field,” said Josh Allen. “Even though we’ve only had some of these guys for a few months I feel like I’ve known them for a long time, that’s how close and quickly we’ve bonded. The more that you can trust someone off the field, the more you can trust them on it.”

Being friends with your teammates just doesn’t make everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside, the team truly believes that togetherness pays off when adversity hits. 

“Every team’s going to go through it, a side of the ball, an offense may go through a funk,” said GM Brandon Beane. “Having that trust and camaraderie helps you work through the highs and the lows.”

Not only is there a big roster turnover, there’s a big change in the leadership of the team. Six of the team’s eight captains last year are no longer walking the dorms at St. John Fisher. Josh Allen has tried to fill that void, with his head coach saying he’s seen a ratcheted-up version of Josh from a leadership standpoint.

“Just being intentional about working extra with his core receivers, backs, and tight ends,” said McDermott. “If something’s not right, being proactive and saying let’s run this again. I think that’s a big piece of really getting our level of execution up to where it needs to be and as consistent as it needs to be.”

Allen is taking charge in the dorms as well, winning the first game of Settlers of Catan here at training camp.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen went from being the Buffalo Sabres’ third-string goalie at the beginning of last season to their potential long-term answer in net after agreeing to a five-year, $23.75 million contract on Wednesday.

The deal comes as Luukkonen, a restricted free agent, was scheduled to have his contract determined in arbitration in the next two weeks. For the 25-year-old from Finland, the contract provides long-term security for a player whose future was uncertain in Buffalo over the past two years.

For the Sabres, the signing has the potential of filling what’s been an unsettled position since trading Ryan Miller to St. Louis during the 2013-14 season.

Luukkonen, better known as “UPL,” began last season as the Sabres’ third goalie to start a game and gradually worked his way up the depth chart ahead of rookie Devon Levi and backup Eric Comrie. In taking over the starting job on Dec. 30, he enjoyed a stretch of going 17-9-1 in which he allowed 52 goals and posted four shutouts.

Luukkonen finished the season with a 27-22-4 record, becoming Buffalo’s first goalie to win 27 games and register five shutouts since Miller’s 31 wins and six shutouts in 2011-12.

Overall, he finished tied for eight in the NHL with a 2.57 goals-against average, and tied for second in shutouts. Luukkonen’s performance was considered one of the few bright spots for a Sabres team that extended its NHL-record playoff drought to a 13th season and led to coach Don Granato’s firing.

Granato has since been replaced by Lindy Ruff, who is back for a second stint with the Sabres.

Luukkonen spent the three previous seasons bouncing between the Sabres and the minors in combining for a 20-19-6 record for Buffalo. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds, he was selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2017 draft.

The Sabres anticipated opening the season with Luukkonen securing one goalie spot, and Levi and veteran free-agent addition James Reimer competing for the backup job.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills hit the field for day one of training camp at St. John Fisher University on Wednesday. Here are 4 Observations from practice.

📸🏈 Day 1 photo galleries: Practice | Fans

Matt Milano returns

Matt Milano didn’t look limited by the leg injury that knocked him out of last season. The Bills linebacker had no issue cutting, reading and reacting in pass coverage or against the run. It’s only one practice, but it was a huge for one of the best linebackers in the league.

Tight ends had big day

Josh Allen hooked up with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox several times during the red zone portion of practice. There was one play in particular that stood out: Kincaid made a leaping grab over Taylor Rapp for a touchdown.

Coleman slides right in

Rookie WR Keon Coleman was with the starting offense more than I thought he would be early in camp, and he was up for the challenge. Coleman hauled in a touchdown in the back of the end zone during an 11-on-11 and should have had a second. Allen found Coleman along the sideline, but the officials called it incomplete. We went back and watched the play on the team video, and it should have been called a catch.

Safety battle

There was a surprise starter in the defensive backfield. Damar Hamlin was a first-team safety along with Taylor Rapp. Veteran Mike Edwards worked with rookie Cole Bishop on the second team. Edwards was dealing with an injury during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, so when he gets up to speed, I believe he will get some reps with the starters as well.

Bonus: New-look OL

The starting offensive line was shuffled up this offseason. Here’s how they lined up on day one of camp: LT: Dion Dawkins, LG: David Edwards, C: Connor McGovern, RG: O’Cyrus Torrence, RT: Spencer Brown.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — He may be biased, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane did not mince his words when asked about an anonymous NFL executive calling quarterback Josh Allen overrated.

“There’s idiots everywhere,” Beane said matter-of-factly Wednesday after the team’s first training camp practice. “You try to ignore this stuff, but Josh is going into year seven and there’s still the naysayers. I don’t get it. If I was going to use rated, I would say underrated before I’d say overrated.”

The overrated comment stems from an ESPN survey of NFL execs, scouts and coaches that ranked the top 10 quarterbacks around the league, in which Allen slotted in at No. 3 behind Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. Despite praise from others surveyed, the detracting anonymous executive went on to say Allen “is underdeveloped at winning at the line of scrimmage, tends to lock on to targets, more of a thrower than precision passer, forces throws into traffic.”

“I just say if you’re not going to put your name on it, we really shouldn’t validate it,” Beane said.

“I’m biased, but I’m tired of hearing it. … No one is God or a robot, but Josh’s positives don’t even come close to the negatives. For what he’s done for this team, for what he’s done in this league and his own accomplishments, to say he’s overrated and to point out a flaw here or there, that’s ignorant.”

Away from the outside noise, the Bills offense had a solid first day at training camp Wednesday, as Allen connected with both new and old targets during red zone drills throughout the morning.

After getting some time to connect with a retooled wide receiver room during the offseason, Allen has his mind on continuing to improve during training camp.

“Everybody understands the standard we have set here,” Allen said. “We understand in OTAs and in meetings that training camp is for our team to build our identity physically, mentally and emotionally, and spiritually for that matter. … There’s one job to get done and that’s to win a Super Bowl, and putting in the work in the spring and the summer is going to pay dividends.”

The Bills are back at it again at 9:45 a.m. Thursday for their second training camp practice of the summer.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – New Era Cap, LLC added to its portfolio Wednesday, becoming the official outfitter of the NFL Scouting Combine.

The hat and apparel company, headquartered in Buffalo, will provide all performance apparel and headwear used by participants, including “outerwear, baselayer, compression wear, fleece, pants, shorts, caps, knits, headbands, socks and more.”

Combine athletes were previously outfitted by NOBULL, a sporting apparel company the NFL has invested in that recently merged with Tom Brady’s TB12 and Brady Brand. New Era has been the NFL’s on-field hat provider since 2012.

“This game is proudly part of our hometown’s identity, and we couldn’t be more excited to deepen our relationship with the NFL,” New Era CEO Chris Koch said in a press release.

New Era got retail rights to a variety of Combine products in the deal, meaning fans will be able to shop the look the athletes wear at the event, like t-shirts, hoodies, shorts and polo shirts.

The agreement extends a busy period for New Era, which also reached deals recently with the NHL and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.

The NFL Combine brings the top draft-eligible prospects together in Indianapolis. The 2025 event runs Feb. 24 through March 3.