'Do The Right Thing': Bills Coach Sean McDermott on Matt Araiza Gang Rape Allegations

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was grilled by the media on Friday after their loss to the Carolina Panthers regarding the gang rape allegations against punter Matt Araiza.

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind for the Buffalo Bills after allegations were levied against rookie punter Matt Araiza of involvement in the gang rape of a minor last October.

After their 21-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Friday in which Araiza did not play, head coach Sean McDermott was grilled by the media about the rookie's situation.

"My heart and thoughts and prayers go out to the people involved," McDermott said. "That includes Matt, that includes both sides here, and the victim and everyone involved. Our prayers go out to them."

McDermott was hesitant to get into any specifics and declined to answer many questions thrown his way, but he acknowledged the severity of the situation which he described as "extremely serious," saying that "it's not a situation that I or we take lightly whatsoever."

Notably, McDermott also admitted that he had learned some things regarding the situation in the past day, saying "there's been some and I'm not going to deny that. And that's why I have more work to do on this."

The decision not to play Araiza, who did travel to Carolina with the Bills, was one McDermott said he came to himself.

"It's not easy to hear about some of the things that I've heard about over the last several hours."

"This is a game, but there are other things that are more important."

"That's the goal. Find the truth and do the right thing."

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"I just felt like that was the right thing to do," McDermott said. "And that's what I'm after, is doing the right thing."

Moving forward, McDermott said that Araiza would be flying back with the team, but he wouldn't comment on whether or not the rookie would remain on the roster come Tuesday. 

When it came to the team, McDermott said they had discussed the seriousness and sensitivity of the situation with the players. And when asked if this situation had dampened spirits, McDermott bluntly replied with: "Where do you want to start?"

And of course, this situation doesn't just affect the Bills' players, but also the fans. 

McDermott accepted that "fans are hurting" and when asked what the message was to the team's female fans was, he said once more that "it's not a situation we take lightly." 

"I'm hurt and they're hurt and it's emotional," McDermott said. "It's not easy to hear about some of the things that I've heard about over the last several hours say, and I haven't slept a lot to be honest with you because this is a game but there are other things that are more important than this."

This news may have only come out publicly within the last 24 hours, but the fact is that according to ESPN, the Bills have been aware of this since the end of July when the accuser's attorney contacted them. 

The Bills released a brief statement regarding the allegations on Thursday, that included a claim that "due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter."

McDermott wouldn't comment on the supposed investigation the team conducted, merely reiterating that there was more work to do.

And when it comes to investigations, McDermott hopes that for the sake of all involved, the truth comes out "sooner than later."

"I've been working on it, we've been working on it, it hasn't been easy," McDermott said.

As far as Araiza is concerned, however, he's innocent. 

"The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press," Araiza said in a statement via ESPN's Adam Schefter. A statement that McDermott said he was not aware would be made. 

"I look forward to quickly setting the record straight," Araiza concluded.