The Bills ended up losing 31-25 to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. Buffalo had a chance at the victory but Tyrod Taylor’s fourth-down pass into the end zone in the closing seconds fell incomplete.

Buffalo would have only needed a field goal to tie the game at that point if the end of the first half had been handled differently.

Ryan said it was ”ridiculous” that Seattle’s Richard Sherman was not called for unnecessary roughness when he crashed into Buffalo kicker Dan Carpenter as he attempted at 48-yard field goal. Sherman was instead called for offside and after some confusion and a Buffalo penalty Carpenter missed a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the half.

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Ryan rallied to the defense of Smith, who was the target of sexist comments from the stands. And he also took a verbal jab at Seahawks coach Pete Carroll during a telephone conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

Ryan was particularly upset upon learning what happened to Smith, the NFL’s first full-time female assistant during Buffalo’s 31-25 loss on Monday night .

Rochester’s WROC-TV filmed a male fan yelling, ”Waitress! Waitress. Can I have a Pepsi, please,” at Smith as she walked along the sideline.

”Well, I think that’s ridiculous,” said Ryan, who promoted Smith to be Buffalo’s special teams quality control coach in January.

”I think that’s really classless,” Ryan said, noting he’s accustomed to being taunted.

”Now look, I get ripped all the time and that’s cool. I’m free game,” he said. ”I’ve been called everything known to man, and that’s OK. I’m the opposing head coach. That’s part of the gig.”

The fan was wearing a Seahawks jersey with a No. 1 on it and the words ”Our House” printed on the back. The video shows a woman next the fan slapping the man on his arm when he yelled ”Waitress!” a third time.

Ryan also took issue with Carroll.

He responded sarcastically when informed Carroll was unhappy the Bills coach called Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman ”an ass.”

On Tuesday morning, Carroll told Seattle’s ESPN-Radio that Ryan should focus on coaching his own team.

Ryan said he does coach his team, and then joked about forgetting to check with Carroll first about what his appropriate response should’ve been regarding Sherman.

Sherman caused several stirs during a thrilling back-and-forth game but marred by officiating errors .

Sherman was penalized for offside when he dived and collided with kicker Dan Carpenter during a field-goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half.

NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said referee Walt Anderson and his crew made a mistake by noting Sherman should have been penalized for roughing the kicker. The ruling proved costly because an ensuing delay of game penalty against Buffalo eventually led to Carpenter missing a 54-attempt wide right.

Blandino also ruled Anderson’s crew should not have flagged the Bills for delay of game.

In the second half, Sherman made a play near the Bills sidelined and then exchanged words and attempted to stare down Ryan.

”I had some words,” Ryan said following the game. ”I think I said that, `You’re too good of a player to act like an ass.”’

Otherwise, Ryan was ready to move on.

”Obviously, it’s frustrating,” he said. ”But it’s in the past now. It’s behind us.”

The Bills (4-5) have lost three straight and get an extra week to rest up before playing at Cincinnati on Nov. 20.

One player who won’t be available is center Eric Wood, who will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right leg against Seattle.

”That’s really, really a big blow to our football team,” Ryan said, referring to the eighth-year player and team leader.

The Bills will have to lean on either Ryan Groy, who took over for Wood on Monday, or Patrick Lewis, who has yet to play this season. Buffalo claimed Lewis off of waivers after he was cut by Seattle in August.

On the bright side, the Bills top receiving threat, Sammy Watkins , is eligible to begin practicing once the team returns to the field on Monday. Watkins was placed on injured reserve three weeks into the season when he aggravated an injury to his surgically repaired left foot.

Though he can begin practicing next week, Watkins is not eligible to be activated until after Buffalo plays Cincinnati.

Ryan said he’s hopeful Watkins will be able to play, but said the player has not yet been cleared by the medical staff.

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AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this report.

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The person says the sides are negotiating the final details of a contract Sunday morning. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills have not revealed details of their search to replace Doug Marrone, who stepped down abruptly Dec. 31.

The offer was made a day after the Bills identified Ryan as a finalist and interviewed him for a second time. Ryan was fired by the Jets after a 4-12 season.

Ryan was one of 12 candidates to interview for the Bills job since last weekend. Ryan had a 50-52 record, including 4-2 in the playoffs, in six seasons coaching Buffalo’s AFC East rival.

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In other expected moves, the Jets also cut linebacker Calvin Pace, safety Eric Smith and tackle Jason Smith. Just like that, the Jets created $30.7 million in cap relief. It puts them about $5.7 million under the cap.

This starts what figures to be a tumultuous offseason under new general manager John Idzik, although his predecessor, Mike Tannenbaum, was planning to make the same four cuts.

This won’t impact Darrelle Revis’ situation. The Jets had to make these moves simply to get under the cap by the start of the league year, March 12. They also waived injured tight end Josh Baker.

“Every one of these players was a major contributor to our football team,” coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday. “I was very impressed with Jason this past season while Bart, Calvin and Eric have been an instrumental part of our defense for the past four years.”

Scott wasn’t included in the Jets’ initial announcement of cuts, fueling speculation he could remain on the team at a reduced salary. His agent, Harold Lewis, said he expected to meet with team officials later this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis to discuss Scott’s future.

The Jets apparently couldn’t wait, announcing an hour later that Scott — best known for his “Can’t Wait!” rant on ESPN after the Jets upset the Patriots in the 2010 divisional playoffs — also was a goner.

“The door is not closed with the Jets, and this allows us to really work the market as a free agent while in Indy,” Lewis said later in an e-mail to ESPNNewYork.com.

Scott was due to count $8.7 million against the cap. By cutting him, the Jets will get hit with $1.5 million in “dead” money, meaning there will be a savings of $7.2 million. He likely will be replaced by second-year linebacker Demario Davis, who became Scott’s heir apparent last year when he was drafted in the third round.

Scott was the first big acquisition of the Ryan administration, following Ryan to New York from the Baltimore Ravens.

The Jets enticed him with a six-year, $48 million contract in 2009, making him the centerpiece of the defense. Ryan and two assistant coaches took a celebrated recruiting trip to Scott’s Maryland home, showing up at midnight at the start of free agency.

Scott brought toughness and swagger to the unit, which vaulted to No. 1 in the league rankings in 2009. In four seasons with the Jets, Scott recorded 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and only one interception.

He became a malcontent in 2011, though, complaining about his diminished playing time, and also had several clashes with the media, once incurring a $10,000 fine for making an obscene gesture toward a news photographer.

Scott hoped for a bounce-back year, but he suffered a turf-toe injury in Week 3. He tried to play through the pain, but eventually missed a game, ending his streak of 119 consecutive games played.

Scott, Pace and Eric Smith could draw interest from the Buffalo Bills, where they’d be reunited with former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.

Pace was an every-down linebacker, but his cap charge was prohibitive — he was due to count $11.6 million. By cutting him, the Jets will get hit with $3.0 million in dead money, meaning there will be a savings of $8.6 million.

The Jets snagged Pace with a six-year, $42 million contract during free agency in 2008, one of many key additions in a blockbuster offseason. Of all the big-name acquisitions — Alan Faneca, Kris Jenkins, Damien Woody and, later, Brett Favre — Pace lasted the longest.

Pace didn’t become the pass rusher the Jets envisioned, never eclipsing eight sacks in a season. In 2012, he played in 94 percent of the defensive snaps, recording only three sacks and 42 solo tackles.

In five seasons with the Jets, Pace recorded 28 sacks and 11 forced fumbles. The Jets don’t have an obvious replacement for him, but they could draft an outside linebacker with the ninth overall pick.

Jason Smith’s release was a no-brainer considering his $12 million cap figure, which included an $11.25 million roster bonus. The Jets inherited the contract last August from the St. Louis Rams, who previously had restructured the contract to include the prohibitive bonus  virtually ensuring free agency in 2013.

The entire $12 million charge is wiped off the Jets’ cap, an enormous savings that will allow them to do business on the open market.

Smith was acquired last August in a trade with the Rams, a straight-up swap for Wayne Hunter, another right tackle who fell out of favor. Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in 2009, was used exclusively as a backup. He played in 24 percent of the offensive snaps as an extra blocker in the “jumbo” package.

Eric Smith was a valuable backup who contributed heavily on special teams. He was a situational played last season on defense, but he has started 36 games in his career. He was due to make $3 million in the final year of his contract, all of which is cleaned off the cap.

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Ryan has decided to hire former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, league sources confirmed. Mornhinweg will replace Tony Sparano, who was fired after one season as the Jets’ coordinator.

The Michael Vick speculation already has begun.

Vick is expected to be released by the Eagles, and the Jets could be looking to replace Mark Sanchez. Ryan has an affinity for Vick, but salary-cap restrictions make it unlikely he’ll land with the Jets. Sanchez counts $12.8 million on the cap.

The Jets interviewed at least five people for the job, including former Baltimore Ravens coordinator Cam Cameron and former Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

They also met with New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi and Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who was hired by the Indianapolis Colts for the same position.

Mornhinweg was the only one brought back for a second interview, according to a source. It’s interesting that he didn’t follow his mentor, Andy Reid, to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mornhinweg, 50, spent 10 seasons with the Eagles, the last seven as the primary play caller. The Eagles were ranked in the top 10 in total offense in five of those seven seasons, thanks to the quarterback play of Donovan McNabb and Vick and an array of skill-position talent.

He won’t have those luxuries with the Jets, who dropped to 30th in total offense under Sparano. Their quarterback situation is a mess, with Sanchez coming off a career-worst season and Tim Tebow floating in limbo.

Mornhinweg is known as a quarterback guru, and his expertise should help Sanchez — if he remains on the roster. The Jets fired their quarterbacks coach, Matt Cavanaugh, the only position coach Sanchez has known.

Mornhinweg faces a massive rebuilding project, with five starters headed to free agency. The Jets’ top receiver, Santonio Holmes, is returning from foot surgery. After the season, Ryan took the blame for the offensive struggles, making the admission that he failed over four years to establish an identity for the offense.

After preaching a run-oriented approach, Ryan said he wanted to divorce himself from ground-and-pound. He said he wanted an “aggressive, attack-style” offense, mirroring the mentality they have on defense.

“When we search for a new offensive coordinator,” he said, “I want somebody with that same type of belief that I have and that same passion and energy and that same attack mentality and unpredictability.”

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After interviewing four candidates, the Jets have decided to expand their search for a new general manager. New York will interview three new candidates Thursday, including former Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo, according to league sources.

Angelo, who was fired from his post in Chicago after the 2011 season, is the only known candidate with experience as a GM. He was the Bears’ GM for 11 years, compiling an 87-73 record and building the team that reached Super Bowl XLI.

The Jets also will meet with Miami Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine and Pittsburgh Steelers director of football and business administration Omar Kahn, sources said.

The Jets have reached out to no fewer than 12 potential candidates, and that number is expected to grow. They’re expected to conduct more interviews on Friday, which means the search probably will continue into next week.

The Jets clearly were not blown away by any of their original four candidates, prompting team officials to cast a wider net. The franchise is under intense pressure to make the right choice.

Not only did the Jets stumble to a 6-10 record, but they’ve been lampooned since the end of the season. They’ve provided plenty of tabloid fodder, with Rex Ryan’s well-chronicled getaway to the Bahamas, his infamous tattoo and the clumsy, eight-day delay before their season-ending news conference — a violation of the NFL media policy.

Owner Woody Johnson still wants Ryan to be a major presence in the organization. That became apparent Tuesday at their joint news conference. Despite the losing season, Johnson gave an effusive vote of confidence to Ryan, also revealing that Ryan will be involved in the latter stages of the GM search.

Johnson confirmed that Ryan is part of the package, meaning the next GM has to retain the coach for at least one season. Johnson said he hasn’t received any negative backlash from potential candidates.

“I really haven’t had any reaction, no,” he said. “I think everybody feels like they’re pretty fortunate to have Rex because of what they know. They know he’s a good coach and you can’t always say that. It takes one of the uncertainties out of the equation.”

Not everyone feels the same way.

“It’s an absolute recipe for disaster,” said a longtime GM, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “It’s a marriage by proxy.”

Amid the Jets’ recent embarrassing headlines, they’re still looking for a GM. Consider their odyssey:

Two landed other GM jobs: Former Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Dave Caldwell was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars and former Indianapolis Colts vice president of football operations Tom Telesco landed the San Diego Chargers’ GM job.

One declined an interview (Baltimore Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta); one canceled his interview (former Cleveland Browns GM Tom Heckert); and one postponed to pursue other options (Green Bay Packers director of football operations John Dorsey).

49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble was considered the early favorite, but his interview didn’t go as well as expected, according to league sources. Caldwell became the next hot name — he was invited back for a second interview — but league sources suspect he used the Jets as leverage against the Jaguars.

The Jets also met with New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross and their top in-house candidate, Scott Cohen, who served as Tannenbaum’s assistant GM for five years. People close to the organization believe owner Woody Johnson will give strong consideration to Cohen because he’s already familiar with Ryan.

The Jets’ job would be a homecoming for Gaine, who will meet with team officials later this week. He grew up in Pearl River, N.Y., attended Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, played briefly on the Jets’ practice squad and became a scout under Bill Parcells. He followed Parcells to the Dallas Cowboys and Dolphins, ascending to the front office.

Gaine was a practice-squad tight end for the Jets and Giants. Former Jets teammates Wayne Chrebet, Marvin Jones and Anthony Becht gave their endorsements, tweeting that Gaine would be an excellent choice.

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Tannenbaum, who has run the football operation since 2006, was fired Monday, owner Woody Johnson announced in a statement. Rex Ryan will remain as coach, according to Johnson.

A search for a new GM will commence immediately.

Johnson made the move after the Jets failed to make the playoffs for a second straight season. The Jets, undermined by poor quarterback play and a lack of playmakers on offense, stumbled to 6-10. Johnson said he informed Tannenbaum on Monday morning.

“Although he helped guide us to two consecutive AFC Championship Games, we are not where we want to be, and a new General Manager will be critical to getting this team back on the right track,” Johnson said in the statement.

Johnson said he has consulted with “a number of football executives,” adding that he has hired Korn/Ferry International, which will conduct the search for a new GM. It will be headed by Jed Hughes, who previously led the general manager search for the Seattle Seahawks.

Johnson eliminated any doubt about Ryan’s future.

“I believe that he has the passion, the talent, and the drive to successfully lead our team,” Johnson said.

Ryan has two years and approximately $6 million remaining on his contract.

“Like all Jets fans, I am disappointed with this year’s results,” Johnson said. “However, I am confident that this change will best position our team for greater success going forward.”

It was a stunning fall for Tannenbaum, who was considered one of the NFL’s top young executives when the Jets reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009 and 2010.

Since then, the talent base has eroded, leaving a roster filled with question marks and uncertainty at the quarterback position. The Jets are also saddled with several bad contracts.

In Tannenbaum’s seven seasons, the Jets went 57-55, made the postseason three times and won four playoff games. On his watch, they’ve had two head coaches, Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan.

Tannenbaum became known as “Trader Mike” for his aggressive deals. His biggest trade came in 2009, when he dealt for Brett Favre. Some of his better moves were drafting Darrelle Revis and trading for Antonio Cromartie.

But Tannenbaum also had some clunkers, none bigger than drafting Vernon Gholston in 2008 and making the controversial Tim Tebow trade. Tannenbaum predicted that Tebow would be a “dynamic” weapon in the offense, but it was an unmitigated disaster. The decision to extend Mark Sanchez’s contract last offseason also proved to be a poor decision.

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