Archie Manning can understand what Jack Harbaugh will be feeling on Monday night.
For the first time in 11 years, the 85-year-old father of the Harbaugh family has to watch his sons’ teams face off as Jim’s Los Angeles Chargers play John’s Baltimore Ravens in the third matchup between the coaching brothers.
Manning knows all about the mixed emotions and attention these kinds of games bring. He had to experience it three times when his sons, quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, played against each other. Peyton won all three games, which took place when his team, the Indianapolis Colts, played Eli and the New York Giants in 2006 and 2010, and again in 2013 with the Denver Broncos.
At least Manning and his wife, Olivia, had something to cheer for in those games — the offenses of both teams led by their sons. Jack and his wife, Jackie Harbaugh, don’t have that luxury because the head coaches are responsible for the entire team.
“The first thing is you’re proud because it is pretty unique. The second thing is, you don’t like it,” Archie Manning said in a phone interview. “You’re proud that both are in the National Football League, but you just assume it wouldn’t happen. It wasn’t fun. I guess we were lucky it happened only three times. Heck, they could have been in the same division and done it 20 times.”
Jack Harbaugh didn’t do any interviews this week. He said that, before the first matchup in 2011, he appreciated hearing from Manning before Jim’s San Francisco 49ers played John’s Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl 47.
The Ravens won that game 16-6. John earned more bragging rights after the Ravens defeated the 49ers 34-31 in the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Before the first “Harbaugh Bowl,” Archie Manning offered Jack some advice: “It will be over soon enough.”
Jack and Jackie Harbaugh attended the first two matchups, but they will not be at Monday’s game. Instead, they will be at their daughter Joanie’s house in Bradenton, Florida, to celebrate Thanksgiving and their 63rd wedding anniversary.
Rick Minter, a defensive analyst for the Chargers, went up against Jack Harbaugh before working with both of his sons. John Harbaugh worked on Minter’s staff at the University of Cincinnati and later joined Jim Harbaugh’s teams at Michigan and the Chargers when Minter’s son, Jesse, became the defensive coordinator.
“Both sons are so tuned into their father with great respect. He’s passed (the game) down in so many ways to them, but they still look to him for advice,” Minter said. “Jack still does it where he watches game films (of the Ravens and Chargers) and writes up reports.”
“Jack is a crowd-pleasing speaker. He’s excitable and emotional, and he brings it out and gets his message across. I don’t know if Jack and John are either one. They are more modern, less authoritative and more connective, collaborative and well-spoken and all those types of things.”
The Harbaughs aren’t the only connections in this matchup. Five assistant coaches on Jim Harbaugh’s staff — including offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Jesse Minter — have also coached for John Harbaugh in Baltimore.
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz spent 26 seasons in the Ravens’ front office before moving to Los Angeles when Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL earlier this year.
Roman, who has been an assistant for Jim Harbaugh for seven years at Stanford, San Francisco, and the Chargers, as well as five years with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, said the atmosphere going into Monday night’s game feels like any other.
Roman was asked to compare the two brothers once again this week but focused on their similarities.
“I learned a lot from both of them. Every brother and sister, everybody’s different, you know. So it’s an interesting juxtaposition if you will,” he said. “But very similar in a lot of ways and just a little different nuances with each. But they’re very strong leaders.”
Six players, including running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, are also former Ravens. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy played for the Chargers during the 2022 season, and backup quarterback Josh Johnson (San Diego) and outside linebacker David Ojabo (Michigan) played for Jim Harbaugh in college.
The Chargers (7-3) are on a four-game winning streak.
The Ravens (7-4) entered the weekend trailing the Steelers by a game in the AFC North and also need a win to stay in the wild-card race.
“It’s going to be different but fun because it is two similar type ballclubs hashing it out,” said Chargers safety and former Raven Tony Jefferson. “It is two physical teams on both sides of the ball and dynamic players at quarterback. It lines up to be a good matchup, and that’s what you strive for in games, especially prime time.”
