With the possibility of having replacement referees this season, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has talked with his team about how to deal with the new faces.
According to an ESPN report, league executives now foresee starting the 2012 season regular season with the new men (and women) in stripes.
"Basically we said, 'You respect them,'" Harbaugh said of his message to the team. "They are the officials, and these guys are guys that have been doing it for quite a while, and they know what they are doing."
The officials in the Ravens' Thursday night preseason opener were the butt of some media jokes considering the head referee referred to "Atlanta" as "Arizona" on two separate occasions.
But as far as what they called on the field, Harbaugh was pleased.
"I thought our last game they did pretty well for the first time out there," Harbaugh said. "There are always some miscues. We had plenty of miscues ourselves. But I thought all-and-all they did well, and our guys will respect them."
