Latest news with #McDermott
USA Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bills' Josh Allen on Sean McDermott, what bringing a Super Bowl to Buffalo would mean
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has had one of the more successful runs in his tenure leading the team, both in the franchise's history as well as in the NFL landscape during that timeline. While the run has not, at times, been without scrutiny. Whether it is because the Bills are still working to get past the AFC Championship (and the Kansas City Chiefs) in the postseason, or due to occasional situational playcalling or decision-making in games, McDermott bears the brunt of the criticism for better or worse, typically taking responsibility to the public and press as the head coach. While noise off the field is amplified in the social media age, his impact on the field can be seen and felt among the players, who support him. Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen, recently spoke with NFL Network about that impact headed into McDermott's ninth season with Buffalo, and how it might be different. "I think he really gives his players the freedom to be themselves," He said. "I think early on in my career, you know, being a new head coach in this league, you know, wanting to kind of control things." The QB also shed light on how McDermott's philosophy and outlook towards rookies and trusting them have developed over his time as a head coach in the NFL. "he's learned over the course since I've been here of just like, you know what. Like we're drafting these guys. Let's let them be them. Right. Like we're drafting them for a reason. We brought them here for a reason. But the culture, the environment, the guys that they bring into this locker room, it's curated." When asked what bringing a Lombardi trophy would mean to the Bills fanbase in Buffalo and to Allen himself, the MVP was to the point. "It continues to drive us, you know, internally, I want to do it, you know, for selfish reasons. But when you have everybody in the city, in Western New York, for that matter, and Bills Mafia across the globe rooting for you, it makes you play that much harder, it makes you train that much harder, and that's the only thing that's on my mind during camp." Prior to the Bills' most recent postseason run, McDermott himself also spoke about how deeply he cares about bringing an NFL Championship home to Buffalo. 'I bleed for that. I bleed for that win,' McDermott said. 'And that's real. What I want for people, for these fans, is for the true light to be shown on what this place really is.'
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bills training camp observations, Day 5: Christian Benford shines on Day 1 in pads
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — There's always a different feeling in the air at training camp once the Buffalo Bills get through the first stage. The team generally spends the first four days going through practices in just helmets, shorts and jerseys during its annual ramp-up period to 'real' football. The fifth day has normally been the first in full pads, and that tradition continued Monday. As players exited the locker room at St. John Fisher University, they were in full pads from head to toe, meaning the physicality of training camp was about to increase exponentially. Advertisement It's always a delicate balance in a highly competitive atmosphere, forcing McDermott to make his expectations well-known throughout his team. 'I want to see nasty, physical football, but I don't want to see a disrespect for a man's career,' he said. 'That's not how we play in Buffalo. We painted a pretty clear picture this morning of what that looks like for the new players in particular. That nastiness, that's got to be developed here. But it can't be at the expense of someone's career. So, clean, but physical.' The Bills dealt with some questionable plays even in the first four days of camp without pads — one of which led to McDermott ejecting backup offensive lineman Alec Anderson from practice for what the coach deemed a cheap shot to another player. And even on the first day of full pads, you could sense the intensity increasing as the pads began to pop on a hot and muggy morning. As the Bills went through their first day of padded football, what stood out? Here are several notes and updates from the day. With the pads on for the first time, it was the first opportunity to see how players performed with the added physical element, but also players' first time in full pads since the 2024 season ended. Teams always want to see the top players shine in those settings, and top cornerback Christian Benford shined and then some on Monday. He was brilliant in multiple one-on-one drills, dominating reps on the way to pass breakups, regardless of whom he faced. Benford locked down the bigger Keon Coleman to the point that the rep was never even close. The smaller, shiftier Khalil Shakir ran a great route and looked like he'd brought in a perfectly thrown pass from Josh Allen on the sideline, only for Benford to rip the ball out of Shakir's hands as the receiver tried to complete the catch to the ground. Benford, usually a quiet and calm presence, was ready for a rep against receiver KJ Hamler, who has a relatively chatty reputation. Benford played another lockdown rep against Hamler. The two went at it again near the end of one-on-ones, with Hamler making a catch on a 3-yard comeback, but that was the extent of the success against Benford on Monday. There was a scary scene Sunday at the end of practice. Wide receiver Tyrell Shavers completed a catch in the end zone with rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston trailing in coverage. When Hairston took an extra step to try to rip the ball loose after the catch was made, Shavers crumbled to the ground clutching the top of his right ankle. McDermott and his staff said they discussed the play to see if there was a teaching moment, but they ultimately felt it was just football players trying to make a play. Advertisement But the good news for Shavers is that the injury is mild — an excellent outcome considering there was potential for a season-ending injury with how it looked initially. The Athletic caught up with Shavers, who was sporting a small wrap on his right ankle, after Monday's practice. 'Definitely was scary,' Shavers said. 'X-rays and MRIs came back good. Feeling good. Just taking one day at a time.' McDermott vaguely told reporters Shavers would be back in a couple of days if everything goes as planned. However, it's tough to pinpoint what a couple of days might mean in the context of camp when there are days off and the team's general cautiousness this time of the year with players returning from injury. 'I'm not missing too much time, I'll tell you that,' Shavers said. 'I don't want to miss any time. I obviously want to be back before the first preseason game, but my body, I'm just going to listen to it, whatever it says.' Shavers had been making a big early impression at training camp, forcing his way into more time with the first-team offense, while also taking advantage of injuries to wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Elijah Moore to get additional time with the Josh Allen-led unit. Even with the presence of Samuel and Moore, the Bills have a gap in their receiver room for a specific role. Mack Hollins, who left in free agency, was the team's top backup for Coleman at X receiver and also lined up all over the formation. He was a very dependable run blocker and special teams player when given those reps. Shavers, who is similarly statured to Hollins at 6 foot 4, is attempting to fill that role. He went to work in the offseason and put on five pounds of solid muscle. That might not seem like a lot, but when Shavers arrived in Buffalo in 2023, he had a thinner body type, which typically has more difficulty gaining muscle weight. Shavers' body composition is now much different than in 2023, as he's up to 211 pounds to try to give the Bills the run blocking and special teams ability they want in a fifth or sixth receiver. Advertisement Shavers also has the advantage of time on task, with more experience in the Bills' offense than every other receiver on the team except Shakir. In his final game in 2024, when he was elevated from the practice squad against the Jets in Week 17, Shavers took a screen pass 69 yards for a touchdown. It was his first career catch and touchdown all in one play. If there was a year for him to finally crack the 53-man roster, after being one of the last cuts last summer, it's this one. 'It's just a great opportunity to go out there and show what I can do,' Shavers said. 'With the guys that we lost last year, there's spots available, room available for guys to step up and take advantage. That's what I'm looking to do.' Shavers is signed through the 2026 season and will likely need to convince the Bills to keep six receivers, or to unseat Samuel or Moore for one of the top five spots. After four consecutive days of work to begin training camp, tight end Dalton Kincaid had a clear runway to work with Allen and the first-team offense. Fellow tight end Dawson Knox hasn't practiced since camp began due to a hamstring injury, and the Bills had been excited about both Kincaid's health and the offseason following a frustrating, injury-plagued 2024. During the season, Kincaid suffered a PCL injury to his left knee that helped define the second half of his season. Ahead of Monday's practice, McDermott revealed Kincaid would not participate due to soreness in his knee. The soreness stemmed from a play Sunday when Kincaid had a few defenders around him — the Bills are unsure if there was contact that caused the soreness or if it was how Kincaid landed, but it was enough to put Kincaid on the sidelines Monday. During practice, Kincaid was wearing a sleeve on his left leg. It is unclear if the soreness has anything to do with his 2024 PCL injury, but it certainly isn't something the Bills wanted to deal with this early into camp. Regardless, the Bills are generally conservative in July and August with injuries to their top players, because they have the time to get healthier than the regular season would normally provide. Kincaid was casually standing and throwing the ball around with Knox and tight ends coach Rob Boras on Monday. Odds are the team is just being cautious, but it remains to be seen how long that caution will keep Kincaid out of practice. Advertisement Even after the Bills released punter Jake Camarda just ahead of training camp, new special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was quite blunt about the punting job on Sunday. While complimentary of Brad Robbins, now the only punter on the roster, the evaluation is far from over. 'Brad has not won this job,' Tabor said, effectively keeping the competition open despite there only being one punter on the team. On Monday, in Robbins' first chance to punt in team drills since Day 1, he had one of his best days with the Bills so far. Many of his situations were different. With the chance to lay into a punt and flip the field from Buffalo's 30-yard line, Robbins connected on a pair of 57-yard punts with an excellent average hang time of 4.81 seconds. Then, with some opportunities near midfield to pin the returner deep, he landed all three at or inside the 10-yard line with ample hang time for his punt coverage gunners. The first two took a beautiful high bounce just outside the 5-yard line, with the gunner being able to get under both to down the play inside the 5. The last attempt was a skied punt with a 4.66-second hang time, and the returner had to fair catch at the 10-yard line. The performance was a big improvement from Day 1. Day 5 MVP: CB Christian Benford — Benford remained in the hip pocket of the receivers he covered, regardless of the drill. He forced multiple pass breakups and looked every bit the player who could make an even bigger jump in production in 2025. Did not participate: RT Spencer Brown (back, active PUP), C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf, active PUP), TE Dawson Knox (hamstring), LB Dorian Williams (calf), WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring), LB Terrel Bernard (hamstring), WR Elijah Moore (leg soreness), WR Tyrell Shavers (ankle), WR Kaden Prather (hamstring), K Tyler Bass (pelvis area soreness)
Sunday World
18-07-2025
- Sunday World
Man who rubbed chilli powder on colleague's face found not guilty of attempted murder
insanity verdict | He was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity. Stock image: Getty The Central Criminal Court trial of Jineesh John (43) heard that the defendant had developed a delusional belief that his former colleague had infected him with HIV by kissing him. There had never been any physical contact between Mr John and the woman, the court heard, but he had developed a preoccupation of which she was unaware. Mr Justice Paul McDermott today told the jury of seven men and five women that consultant forensic psychiatrists called by the prosecution and defence had agreed that Mr John fulfilled the criteria for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. Stock image: Getty Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th Mr Justice McDermott told the jury that they must return verdicts in accordance with the evidence they heard. The jury took about 40 minutes to reach their verdicts. Mr Justice McDermott remanded Mr John to the Central Mental Hospital until July 28 when a psychiatrist will deliver a report regarding Mr John's ongoing treatment. The judge also told the injured party in the case that she had shown "extraordinary courage". In other circumstances she would have an opportunity to address the court about what happened, he said, but he wanted to acknowledge the courage she showed in dealing with the situation in which she found herself. The court heard that she managed to calm Mr John down by talking to him. Mr John, with an address at The Crescent Building, Park West, Dublin 12 had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder at a location in West Dublin on May 21, 2023. Read more Mr John also pleaded not guilty to making a threat to kill or cause the woman serious harm without lawful excuse, intending her to believe that the said threat would be carried out. He further pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the woman by intentionally or recklessly detaining her without her consent. In addition, the defendant pleaded not guilty to producing a hammer on the same date, while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence of false imprisonment. The jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all counts. Giving evidence in the two-day trial, Detective Garda Thomas Balfe told prosecutor Brendan Grehan SC that both the woman and the defendant worked in healthcare and they met in April or May 2021. On May 21, 2023 Mr John arranged to call to the woman's house to fill out a church form. He arrived at about 8.30pm and she got into the car, not suspecting anything. However, Mr John then started to drive before pulling up on a footpath beside an industrial estate. The detective said when the car was pulled over, Mr John told the woman to close her eyes as he wanted to give her a surprise. When she opened her eyes he was holding a hammer and rubbed a handful of hot chilli powder in her face, which stung her eyes and lips. When the woman tried to get out of the car she could see that the doors were sealed with black sticky tape. She thought Mr John was going to kill her and started preaching at him not to do so. The witness said Mr John kept saying: "I'm going to kill you, say your last prayer". He told her he had never killed before but he was going to kill her. Mr John told the woman that she had given him a sexually transmitted disease (STD) to which she replied that she had never slept with him. Mr John said he would only let her go on condition she said she gave him an STD. Mr John proceeded to record on his mobile phone the woman saying she gave him an STD in 2021 despite never kissing or having sexual contact with him. He made another video of the woman saying she gave him an STD through kissing. He then dropped her home. Det Gda Balfe said gardai later found a black-handled knife inside the driver's door of Mr John's car as well as a hatchet, a lump hammer and containers containing a chilli like substance. Black duct tape and adhesive taping were also seized from inside the passenger door as well as a Jerrycan containing petrol. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks, who was called by the defence, told Fiona Murphy SC that when he met Mr John in April and October 2024, Mr John remained 90 per cent convinced the victim deliberately infected him with HIV, despite medical evidence to the contrary. Numerous medical tests had shown Mr John to be negative for any sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Dr Monks said Mr John is suffering from delusional disorder and depression, which are both mental illnesses. He said Mr John's actions were directly driven by delusional thinking in response to the psychotic belief that he had been harmed by the victim. He said Mr John met the three criteria for a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006; namely that he did not know the nature and quality of his act, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong and that he was unable to refrain from committing the act. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, who was called by the prosecution, agreed with Dr Monks that Mr John was suffering from depression and a delusional disorder. Such was the nature and degree of disturbance and impairment of Mr John's mental function that he did not know that his actions were wrong and he was unable to refrain. Dr Mullaney said Mr John therefore fulfils the criteria for the special verdict.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McDermott wins offshore installation contract in Brazil
Engineering and construction solutions provider McDermott has secured a contract for offshore transportation and installation in Brazil for the Papa-Terra and Atlanta fields. The contract, awarded by Brazil-based independent oil and gas company BRAVA Energia, involves the transportation and installation of flexible pipelines, umbilical and associated subsea equipment for two new wells at the Papa-Terra field, as well as a pair of new wells for the Atlanta Phase 2 development. McDermott subsea and floating facilities senior vice-president Mahesh Swaminathan stated: "This award highlights the vital role of subsea infrastructure in enabling long-term production and asset value for deepwater developments. "We will leverage our proven integrated delivery model, marine capabilities and expertise in delivering brownfield deepwater solutions to support Brazil and the broader South American offshore market." The new wells operated by BRAVA Energia at the Papa-Terra and Atlanta fields are anticipated to boost the escalation of production, in line with strategic plans to boost output and extend the lifespan of deepwater infrastructure. In early 2025, BRAVA Energia finalised a deal with global commodity trader Trafigura for the sale of six million barrels of oil from the Atlanta field. McDermott's history with the Papa-Terra field includes the delivery of the tension leg wellhead platform, marking a first for both a dry-tree floating production system offshore Brazil and a tension leg platform in South America. With operations in more than 54 countries, McDermott employs 30,000 people, operates a fleet of speciality marine construction vessels and maintains fabrication facilities globally. The company's commitment to the South American market is further evidenced by its recent completion of the Scarborough floating production unit floatover project for Woodside Energy and an enterprise framework agreement with Shell Global Solutions International for engineering and procurement services. "McDermott wins offshore installation contract in Brazil" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Fashion Network
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Zara McDermott's Rise brand goes in-store at New look after success online
Rise, TV personality Zara McDermott's fashion line, has returned with a new collection of athleisure and summer styles, partnering again with high street fashion retailer New Look both in-store and online. The range is grounded in the brand's best-selling athleisure staples, multi-use leggings and tops 'made for busy, on the go lifestyles'. 'Infused with a fun, feminine energy', the latest drop features a colour palette dominated by 'colour-of-the season' butter yellow, alongside sage green and pops of baby pink, 'bringing a fresh perspective to the brand's signature style'. Stripes are also central to the collection, introduced through a boxy oversized shirt and short co-ords, complete with matching scrunchies. The collection is now available in-store in sizes 8-22 and online in sizes 8-18, with prices ranging £22-£45. Love Island contestant and influencer McDermott said: 'This our third drop and it's our most vibrant yet. Our super soft scuba fabric is back in new styles. We've added new cuts in our activewear to elevate the pieces, and we've also created some gorgeous striped shirt and [short] sets, [perfect as] airport outfits and [for] lounging.' Produced in collaboration with Luminoso Brands, its managing director Gavin Foster added: 'Both New Look and Zara have been amazing in their support in growing this partnership and we are all looking forward to further growth together.' The line was initially launched in 384 Tesco F&F Clothing locations across the UK in April 2024.
