Coming out of LSU in 2014, Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry drew comparisons to former Steelers great Hines Ward for his strong hands, run-after-catch physicality and the ability to get open with consistency in the middle of the field.
After Sunday's victory over Buffalo, those comparisons will likely extend to crack-back blocking and allegations of dirty play.
Speaking at Monday's news conference, Bills coach Rex Ryan called out Landry for a "totally unnecessary" hit that landed safety Aaron Williams in the hospital with injuries to his head and neck.
"Did he launch? Target? Yeah," Ryan said, via the team's official Twitter account. "Unsportsmanlike? Yeah. Now I have a player in jeopardy.
"Never need to launch, hit a guy in the head or neck," Ryan continued. "They say it's a football play. It wasn't ... I'm sure Landry realized it was a mistake."
Ryan suggested that the NFL's competition committee should look into stricter rules such as automatic ejections for targeting on crack-back blocks. He added that Buffalo's Robert Woods blocks as hard as any receiver, but "I've never seen him target someone like that."
The Bills' greater concern going forward is the well-being of Williams, who had already overcome a career-threatening neck injury early last season.
The 26-year-old safety underwent neck fusion surgery last October and acknowledged the odds were "50/50" that he would ever play football again.
Ryan said Williams was attending meetings and walking around team headquarters, though the team's medical staff is still in the process of evaluating his head and neck.
To Ryan's point that Landry realized he made a mistake, the star slot receiver was immediately apologetic, checking on Williams as trainers attended to the injured safety on the field.
"I apologized," Landry said, via the Bills' official website. "I just told him to get better. You never want to see that happen to anybody. ... If I could take that hit back, I would. It's a guy's livelihood."
