Ravens accept NFL request to coach Pro Bowl

The Ravens have accepted the NFL's request that it coach one of the two NFL Pro Bowl squads.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the team got the invitation Monday night and he polled the coaching staff and decided to coach the game Tuesday.

Harbaugh said the coaching staff looks forward to getting to continue coaching and gaining exposure to players from other NFL teams.

"We were contacted about that late last night and we decided this morning finally to go ahead and do it," Harbaugh said. "I polled our coaches and wanted to see how they felt about it and they were all excited about coaching in the Pro Bowl. We're looking forward to doing that. Right now, we are preparing to put a couple of schemes together and go out there and coach a game."

The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff and the Ravens staff will coach the two Pro Bowl teams Jan. 25 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. Each member of the coaching staff would receive $25,000 for the week.

The Ravens were the next team up, as far as seeds, to lose in the AFC divisional round after the Denver Broncos' coaching shakeup Monday. Denver head coach John Fox and the Broncos mutually parted ways. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is being considered for the Oakland Raiders job, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase is up for the San Francisco 49ers head coaching vacancy.

"We don't have to stop coaching right away, we get to coach a little more," Harbaugh said. "You get to know guys. I got to know Steve Smith really well way back at his first Pro Bowl. That's always a fun part of it, getting to know some of the other players around the league."

The Ravens have four players named to the Pro Bowl: outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, rookie inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and right guard Marshal Yanda with running back Justin Forsett added as an alternate with Arian Foster bowing out due to injury.

The Ravens have four more first alternates for the Pro Bowl, including outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, punter Sam Koch, kick returner Jacoby Jones and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

The Pro Bowl is traditonally a laid-back atmosphere. Will that change with Harbaugh's intense approach?

"We're going to implore them to play a little harder than the other guy, see where that takes us," Harbaugh said. "I saw the game last year. I thought it was really well-played. I'm going to have a good halftime speech ready. I'm going to motivate them. You know there's a difference between the winning share and the losing share, right? That's a big motivator for anybody."

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Ravens accept NFL request to coach Pro Bowl

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