On a piece written for BaltimoreRavens.com head coach John Harbaugh said in an interview that he will have some added discussions with his brother and San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh this week concerning the Pittsburgh Steelers, as both the Ravens and 49ers would benefit greatly from a Steelers loss.
John Harbaugh has a long standing rapport with the Pittsburgh Steelers considering his Ravens have had one of the most heated rivalries in recent memory between them. In the interview, John makes sure there are no violations broken when speaking with his brother:
"Is there any NFL regulations on that that you're aware of?" Harbaugh asked Kevin Byrne, Ravens senior vice president of Public and Community Relations.
"I think it's fine for brothers to talk and exchange information," Byrne said.
"I'm sure there will be some of that," Harbaugh said with a grin.
Baltimore is the only team in the NFL to beat Pitssburgh twice this season, accounting for 2/3's of their L's on the year. A Steelers loss and a Ravens win in San Diego would ensure Baltimore some extra space atop the AFC North, while the Niners would better their chances at gaining the all-important first-round bye, so there is some extra incentive for John to help out his bro for sure.
"The truth is, coaches do that around the league based on best interest and things like that. I know for a fact a lot of coaches have spent a lot of time talking about us before they play us, so I'm sure we'll try to help him in some way if we can."
I'm sure you will, John.
For more on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation. For more on the Ravens, head over to Baltimore Beat Down.