As any viewer could see, Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan was a bundle of emotions during Monday night's enthralling and bizarre loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Already steamed over a series of botched calls by the officials that ultimately cost the Bills a field goal before halftime, Ryan's patience was later piqued by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman staring down Buffalo's bench after picking off a pass in the third quarter.
"He's mean-mugging like he's always doing and whatever," Ryan said. "It was a ridiculous play, no question. Then he's over on the sideline basically taunting us, so I had some words. I think I said 'You're too good a player to act like an ass.'"
Ryan's unprompted career advice for Sherman didn't sit well with Seattle coach Pete Carroll, who went out of his way on Tuesday to critique the Bills coach.
"I just wish he'd coach his own team," Carroll said on 710 ESPN Seattle, per ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia. "Just coach your own guys."
When informed of Carroll's comments during his Tuesday conference call, Ryan responded with his own missive: "Next time I'm asked a question about one of Pete's players, I should ask him what the appropriate response is."
Carroll also took issue with Bills kicker Dan Carpenter, who was hit by Sherman on a 53-yard field goal attempt before the half. Sherman was deemed offsides on the play, but NFL senior VP of officiating Dean Blandino later acknowleded that unnecessary roughness should have been called.
Carroll saw it differently, saying Tuesday: "That guy (Carpenter), he hams it up a little bit too, which made it bad. But he was able to play that same play, fortunately."
Carroll argued the refs should have simply blown the whistle and ruled that Sherman was unabated to the passer, saying: "Then if a guy comes off the edge, they blow the whistle, and he comes and drills the quarterback, then they give you unnecessary roughness. That's what the call should have been in that case."
Opinions remain split, but that doesn't change the result for Ryan: Monday night was one of the roughest losses he's endured as a head coach.
