Hempstead, N.Y. ? Herman Edwards’ mother saw this side of him many times before. Now the entire country has seen it, too.

The Jets coach finally let his emotions get the best of him during the wild-card game Saturday night against the San Diego Chargers, getting into an argument with assistant coach Bishop Harris on the sideline. Edwards knew he was wrong the second he let the words come out of his mouth, so he stepped in front of his team Tuesday and said he was sorry for losing his cool.

He apologized to his mother days ago, after she saw the confrontation from the stands. When he saw her afterward, she said, “They saw the other side, didn’t they?”

“It wasn’t right,” Edwards said as the Jets prepare to play Pittsburgh on Saturday. “The head coach is supposed to keep his composure. That’s the one thing I preach to our football team all the time. I have high expectations on myself and I let my guard down and I shouldn’t have fallen into the trap.

New York Jets coach Herman Edwards talks about his team's upcoming playoff game against Pittsburgh. He was at a news conference Tuesday at the Jets' training facility in Hempstead, N.Y.

“I won’t embarrass the league by showing me on the TV set instead of showing our team.”

Edwards, who usually exudes California cool, never had lost his temper before as a player or a coach. But his players know Edwards is plenty emotional. Veteran receiver Wayne Chrebet said he did not understand how Edwards kept everything bottled up inside.

“I liked it,” Chrebet said. “I know he’s got it in him. We need that, to follow his lead. I know what he was like when he played. I know he still has it in him. You just know. You can tell by talking to him. He’s got that fire in his belly.”

Edwards never will be confused with Buddy Ryan, who slugged fellow assistant Kevin Gilbride while they were on the sideline with Houston in a game, coincidentally against the New York Jets, on Jan. 2, 1994.