Jim Harbaugh: MNF game vs. Ravens not about sibling rivalry
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't want the spotlight to be on him or his brother John ahead of Monday's clash between Los Angeles and the Baltimore Ravens.
"It's about the excitement of the big game. ... It's about the two teams. It's about those who are coaching and those who are playing," Jim said, according to the Orange County Register's Elliott Teaford. "I'm sure he doesn't want to make it about him. I don't want to make it about me."
The prime-time matchup will mark the third NFL matchup between the Harbaugh brothers. John is 2-0 against his younger brother, beating the then-San Francisco 49ers head coach in Super Bowl XLVII and during the 2011 regular season.
Although Jim insisted the spotlight shouldn't be on himself and John, he admitted the Super Bowl loss to his brother stung.
"As I was walking off the field at that Super Bowl, it was like, there will be another day. Then there wasn't for many years," Jim said.
He added: "By the grace of God, back in it. Back on a team that has a chance to do that. I'm very thankful."
The Niners fired Jim two seasons after that defeat in 2014. He then coached Michigan for nine seasons before being hired by the Chargers. Jim has led L.A. to a 7-3 record in his first campaign back on an NFL sideline.
"We know how important this is for him," quarterback Justin Herbert said. "I know if I were playing one of my brothers, it would be a really cool opportunity. ... I can only imagine how big this is for him and his family. It's a special moment for him."
Jim said he and his brother wished each other "good luck" ahead of Monday's matchup.
"It's a tough matchup," John said Thursday. "It's a very good football team we're playing this week. They're highly ranked pretty much in every area. A winning football team, very physical, very tough. Extremely well-coached, no question about it. One of the best coaches of this generation, no question about it. Even if he weren't my brother, I would say the same thing."
The Chargers are aiming to extend their four-game win streak following a nail-biting win against the Cincinnati Bengals.