If the NFL really cares about player safety, it should eliminate hits like the one Jarvis Landry made Sunday.
The Miami Dolphins wide receiver came down for a crack block on Buffalo Bills defensive back Aaron Williams in the first half of their matchup at Hard Rock Stadium. But Williams didn’t see Landry’s hit coming, which made it even worse when Landry launched his shoulder directly into Williams’ head.
Williams laid motionless on the field for quite some time before walking off under his own power. The Bills announced his return questionable with head and neck injuries, but the team’s official Twitter account was very clear about what it thought of Landry’s hit.
Landry was flagged for unnecessary roughness but wasn’t ejected. Here’s why:
You could argue Landry should have been ejected anyway for such a brutal hit, but former NFL referee Mike Pereira supported the referees’ decision, explaining that Landry made the hit as part of a crack-back block, which is a legal football play.
For his part, Landry seemed visibly upset after the play and walked over to Williams to see if he was OK. Still, those kinds of hits are not what you want to see in today’s NFL.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
