Dolphins star tries to justify why he sparked massive melee
If this was Jarvis Landry’s final game in a Miami Dolphins uniform, it was an ugly way to go out.
Landry was one of two Dolphins players ejected from the team’s loss Sunday at home to the Buffalo Bills after sparking a melee in the fourth quarter.
The skirmish resulted in six flags and the ejections of Landry and Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake, along with Buffalo lineman Richie Incognito.
Following a 1-yard touchdown catch, Landry head-butted Bills safety Jordan Poyer, which set off a pushing-and-shoving match involving multiple players from both teams.
Jarvis Landry is ejected for head butting Jordan Poyer for starting a brawl on the field #Bills #Dolphins pic.twitter.com/xGHGyXyOXG
— Nick (@Nick_Wojton) January 1, 2018
Landry was ejected for starting the brawl. Drake was ejected for taking a helmet from a Bills player and throwing it across the field.
Landry said after the game that he was reacting in self-defense after Bills safety Jordan Poyer put his hands near his neck and under his face mask.
“I was just defending myself,” Landry said. “I guess the second person is always getting caught. It was just putting hands underneath my facemask. The whistle was already blown, I already scored the touchdown. Like I said, I was just defending myself and protecting myself and they threw the flag on me.
“I regret putting my teammates in a bad spot. I regret putting myself in a bad spot. But again, I do have a career to protect, and if somebody tries to jeopardize that, I have the right to defend myself too.”
Landry was flagged for both unsportsmanlike conduct and for what he said to an official. But he insists he said nothing to the referee.
“I didn’t disrespect the official,” Landry said. “He said I was ejected and walk to the locker room.”
Landry was also reportedly involved in a dispute on the Miami sidelines with at least one teammate before he left the field. Miami coach Adam Gase would not comment on the specifics of what Landry did.
“I know what he did, but it’s not something that I want to say right now,” Gase said.
Landry is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent during the offseason and is coming off the best year of his career. He caught a league-leading 112 passes and added nine TDs. He finished just 13 yards shy of 1,000 yards for the season.
In his four years with the Dolphins, he has 400 career receptions and 22 touchdowns.
“I want to be a Dolphin,” Landry said of where he will be at the start of next season. “I want to be here. If not, I’ll find a way to be successful also.”
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