If Detroit Lions fans were hoping the referee drama from Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers would quietly fade away, Rex Ryan had other plans.
Ryan went scorched earth Monday morning on ESPN’s Get Up, weighing in on the two controversial offensive pass interference calls that erased Lions touchdowns late in regulation. And while Ryan admitted officials may have gotten the final call right, he had absolutely no patience for the earlier flag on rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
In fact, he didn’t mince words.
“They got the last one right, but they certainly got the previous one deadass wrong,” Ryan said. “The defensive guy on the St. Brown touchdown, he’s the guy that initiated the contact right here on TeSlaa. He initiated the contact. This is an awful call. And unfortunately, it cost the Lions a win here, and probably a playoff spot.”
That quote alone sent Lions fans into a frenzy, and Ryan delivered it while wearing a Lions Christmas sweater, no less.
"They got the last one right, but they certainly got the previous one dead ass wrong."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 22, 2025
—Rex Ryan on the officials' calls at the end of Steelers-Lions pic.twitter.com/0IZnfznyig
The call everyone forgot — but shouldn’t
Most of the outrage Sunday night centered around Amon-Ra St. Brown’s overturned touchdown on the final play. That moment was chaotic, emotional, and confusing.
But Ryan zeroed in on what many Lions fans believe actually swung the game: the OPI on Isaac TeSlaa earlier in the drive.
That penalty wiped out what would’ve been another Detroit touchdown, one that came before desperation mode even kicked in. Instead of celebrating, the Lions were forced to keep grinding, setting up the frantic ending that followed.
TeSlaa, who had one of the better games of his young Lions career, was inches away from being the hero. Instead, his biggest moment disappeared with a yellow flag.
“Atrocious” was the word Ryan used
Ryan later doubled down, calling the TeSlaa penalty “atrocious” and making it clear that, in his view, the defender initiated the contact, not the receiver.
That distinction matters. Offensive pass interference is supposed to be about creating separation illegally, not surviving contact from a defender who initiates it.
Ryan’s point was simple: if that call isn’t made, Detroit likely never finds itself in a do-or-die final play situation.
Loud voice, familiar frustration
Rex Ryan is never subtle. Some will joke he’s always looking for attention or a job. But this time, his message landed because it echoed what Lions fans were already saying.
Detroit had opportunities earlier in the game. They didn’t execute enough. That’s true.
But when two touchdowns vanish because of highly questionable flags, it’s impossible to ignore the impact.
Ryan didn’t just reopen the conversation, he poured gasoline on it.
And with the Lions’ postseason hopes hanging by a thread, that frustration isn’t going away anytime soon.
