The two star members of the Miami Dolphins backfield watched the final minutes of the team’s disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday from the locker room.
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry and running back Kenyan Drake were ejected with a little over six minutes left in the fourth quarter following a brawl on the field.
It was an emotional moment for the men, with Landry playing in what could be his last game as a Dolphin and Drake breaking down in tears as he marched off the field.
Landry managed to still break his record for receptions despite the early exit, but fell just 14 yards short of a 1,000-yard season.
Liftoff: Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake threw a helmet belonging to a Buffalo Bills player down the field in the fourth quarter on Sunday (above)
Emotional exit: He was ejected from the game (above) and left in tears, with the 22 – 16 loss also marking the end of the Dolphins season
Away he goes: Jarvis Landry was also ejected for a personal foul and brought along a game ball as he left the field (above)
It all happened just moments after Landry broke his own team record with his 112th reception of the regular season, a one-yard touchdown as the slow-to-start Dolphins tried to get something going against their AFC East rival.
After the Bills defensive line tried to block Landry from crossing the goal line, he was yanked backwards by Matt Milano, with the receiver slamming his helmet back into the linebacker’s face mask and quickly setting his sights on safety Jordan Poynter.
Landry marched over to Poyer and swiftly headbutted his face mask before slapping his helmet while the referees and other players tried to separate the two men.
Then, as the referees assessed the penalty situation following the exchange between Landry and Poyer, Drake emerged from the bottom of a massive player pile-up where defensive end Ryan Davis appeared to choking him while tackle Adolphous Washington refused to let the running back go free from his grip.
An enraged Drake then assumed the form of a champion discus thrower and launched a helmet belonging to a member of the Buffalo Bills over 20 years down the field.
That led to some more throwing from the referees, who had tossed almost every single penalty flag int heir possession onto the field by the end of the melee.
Landry was disqualified for the personal foul against Poyer and disrespecting an official in an incident that was not captured by the camera crews.
Drake was disqualified for throwing an opponent’s helmet down the field.
And in yet another bizarre turn, Richie Incognito of the Bills was also disqualified despite the fact that he was on the bench during the play, with officials citing him for taking the field once the brawl began the two teams.
That call was however quickly reversed, and the head referee announced that it was Jake Brendel of the Dolphins that was being ejected, another player who was not on the field.
This ruling was also soon overturned however, and Landry and Drake walked off the field, with the former taking along his recordbreaking game ball and the latter appearing to be in tears.
There were also multiple penalties resulting in loss of years that were called against both teams before play resumed.
Tap tap: Landry hit Bills safety Jordan Poyer and headbutted him following a one-yard touchdown reception (above)
Celebratory assault: That reception gave Landry his 112th catch of the season, breaking his own record for the Dolphins
Adios Miami: This could now be the end of Landry’s career with the Dolphins, with the star receiver set to enter free agency in March
The Dolphins managed to score another unanswered touchdown even without their stars players but still fell short in the 22 – 16 loss that earned the Bills a playoff berth.
This marks the first time that Bills have made it to the postseason since 1999, and they will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card match-up this Sunday down in Florida.
In a post-game interview from the locker room, Landry explained that he was just trying to protect himself on the field.
‘I guess the second person is always getting caught. It was just putting hands underneath my facemask,’ he explained .
‘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.’
He also later apologized, but only to his fellow Dolphins.
‘I regret I put my teammates in a bad spot and I put myself in a bad spot. But, again, I do have a career to protect,’ said Landry.
‘If somebody tries to jeopardize that I have the right to defend myself too.’
And when asked about his impending free agency, Landry said he would like to return to the Dolphins while hinting it might not be a possibility despite his storied career with the franchise.
He is not looking on the bright side of things, telling reporters: ‘I get a lot of time to spend with my daughter, my family. I’ve enjoyed this whole process. I thank God for giving me this opportunity, to put me in this position. I’m just excited about the next step in my life.’