EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Jim Harbaugh thought there would be many more chances to face his older brother after John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47.
It ended up taking nearly 12 years for it to happen.
“Walking off the field at that Super Bowl was like, there will be another day. And then there wasn’t for many years and it looked like I wouldn’t have a chance for another day,” Jim Harbaugh said of Monday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. “But by the grace of God, I’m back in it and back on a team that has a chance.”
As much as Jim Harbaugh would have loved to talk about the matchup between quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson on Wednesday, more than half of his 26-minute news conference was on the relationship between the brothers, especially after the Ravens’ 34-31 victory in 2013 on football’s ultimate stage.
“That loss was tough, but after some reflection and time, it’s my brother and best friend. I’m really proud of him and happy for his success. It was earned.”
While John Harbaugh has the second-longest tenure among current NFL coaches with 17 seasons in Baltimore, Jim remained with San Francisco for only two more years after Super Bowl 47 before taking over his alma mater, the University of Michigan, in 2015.
After nine seasons and leading the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997 last year, Jim Harbaugh was hired by the Chargers and has quickly turned the Bolts into contenders at 7-3.
Both of the games between the brothers — nicknamed the Harbaugh Bowl in some circles — have had significant spots on the NFL calendar.
Besides the Super Bowl, John won the first matchup on Thanksgiving Day 2011 when the Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6 in Baltimore.
So Jim does have one advantage on Monday night in having home field for the first time.
The brothers have already texted each other this week but have kept the conversations on family and not on football, which they also do even when they do not see each other on opposing sidelines.
Their parents — Jack and Jackie Harbaugh — were at the first two meetings but will not be at SoFi Stadium on Monday night. Instead, they will be at sister Joanie’s house in Bradenton, Florida, for Thanksgiving.
Monday is also Jack and Jackie Harbaugh’s 63rd wedding anniversary.
Even with the coaching matchup taking center stage, it is an important game for both teams to solidify their chances of getting to the playoffs.
Los Angeles has won four straight and holds the fifth seed in the AFC. The Chargers are two games behind Kansas City in the AFC West.
Baltimore (7-4) holds the sixth seed after an 18-16 loss at Pittsburgh, which put the Ravens 1 1/2 games behind the Steelers in the AFC North.
“There’s the excitement of a big game. I’m sure my brother looks at it the same way,” Jim said. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to make it about him, and I don’t want to make it about me. We want to keep this game about the guys playing in it and be respectful of that and the game itself.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
