Rex Ryan thinks his player head-butting a Dolphins coach is no big deal
The Buffalo Bills suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Eve, putting Rex Ryan even more securely on the hot seat. His team was gashed by Jay Ajayi once again, with Ryan making numerous coaching blunders along the way – including an attempted timeout and having 10 men on the field for Ajayi’s big overtime run.
Tempers were understandably flaring for the Bills, who will miss the postseason for the 17th consecutive year. Things got especially testy after Jakeem Grant’s kickoff return, which prompted linebacker Jerry Hughes to head-butt Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi.
Dolphins players spoke out on the incident afterwards, but Ryan doesn’t believe it’s a big deal.
"I never saw it on tape. I’m aware of that being out there but I never saw it on tape," Ryan said, via the Buffalo News. " ... I’ll be honest, when guys start flying around, I’ve been hit before. So I think anything’s possible in that situation, but whether he ends up head butting somebody on purpose, I think that would be, that’s almost hard to believe."
It’s not surprising to hear Ryan defend his player, but video evidence appears to show Hughes making intentional contact with Rizzi – an unacceptable move for a player. Granted, it occurred in a bit of a skirmish, but there’s really no excuse for a linebacker to head-butt an opposing coach.
That’s not to say it’s entirely surprising, coming from Hughes. He’s head-butted players in the past, one of which warranted a fine in 2015.
None of this looks good for Ryan, whose job is seriously in danger after another disappointing season.
