Two plays from scrimmage was the extent of Christian Wilkins' abbreviated Sunday afternoon.
The rookie defensive lineman, selected 13th overall by the Dolphins in this year's draft, was ejected after throwing a punch meant for Bills offensive tackle Cody Ford. Having previously drawn the ire of Dolphins coach Brian Flores for an unnecessary roughness penalty in Week 4 against the Chargers, Wilkins seems to be quickly earning a bad reputation.
To his credit, Wilkins took ownership for his actions after the game.
"I was extremely selfish," Wilkins said, via the Miami Herald. "This is the ultimate team sport. It's not just about me. I don't think I've ever been more disappointed in myself about something, especially something that was in my control."
"Really, really shouldn't have happened," Wilkins said. "There's no place for it in this game and that's not the standard I hold myself to because I just love this game, I try to respect this game as much as possible, play it as competitively as possible. This game was meant to be competitive, not combative. I really let myself down and my teammates down in just a selfish moment so early in the game."
When Wilkins slammed Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, Flores benched him. Against the Bills, Wilkins' bad behavior got him sent to the locker room by the referees.
For the winless Dolphins, it was hardly the start they needed.
"We only dress 46 guys," Flores said. "When you lose one right off the bat, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the group.
"We've got backups at every position, but to start the game like that is not what you're looking for."
