MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - The Miami Dolphins punctuated a disappointing season of undisciplined play with a fight and three ejections Sunday.
The meltdown led by excitable receiver Jarvis Landry came in the final minutes of a 22-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Landry, running back Kenyan Drake and offensive lineman Jake Brendel were disqualified. Landry was cited for disrespecting an official, and Drake for throwing his helmet 20 yards in anger.
The fight occurred after Landry caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from David Fales to cut Miami’s deficit to 22-9. Landry then butted helmets with safety Jordan Poyer to start the scuffle.
“Despite the whistle, he put his hands around my neck,” Landry said. “The whistle had been blown. He put his hand inside my face mask. I defended myself. I guess the second person always gets caught.”
The chaos was compounded when the officials briefly misidentified at least one culprit and announced that Bills guard Richie Incognito - not in the game at the time - was among those disqualified.
“For sitting on the bench?” Incognito said with a laugh. “I’ve been accused of a lot of things. It always seems like in Miami I get accused of some crazy stuff.”
Incognito was part of the Dolphins’ 2013 bullying scandal.
Landry said he didn’t disrespect an official, but acknowledged the ejections hurt Miami’s comeback bid.
“I put my teammates in a bad spot,” he said. “We all are scratching and fighting, and I think that’s what started it.”
Drake was crying as he left the field. The disqualifications could lead to suspensions to begin next season.
Miami, which came into the game with the second-most penalties in the NFL, totaled 14 for 145 yards.
“It’s something that we’re going to have to figure out,” coach Adam Gase said. “It’s strange, because that’s not an issue we had in training camp.”
Landry has a history of losing his composure. During a loss at Kansas City a week ago he engaged in a brief sideline shouting match with Gase.
Landry’s contract expires after this season, and his temperament raises doubts whether the Dolphins want him back next season, even though he led the NFL with a franchise-record 112 catches.
Both teams drew unsportsmanlike conduct penalties as a result of the fight.
“I don’t like to see that on either side,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott, whose team made the playoffs for the first time since 1999. “Officials have a tough job when those things go on, just to identify what exactly went on. I believe in discipline. In order to win, you have to play disciplined football. I’ll just leave it at that.”
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