The crew heads out onto the field for pregame preparations. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
Steratore and his team already know that the forecast calls for heavy weather. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
Side judge Mike Weatherford checks his watch pregame. (John DePetro/The MMQB)
Steratore stresses maintaining good lines of communcation with coaches, to minimize surprises and misunderstandings. Here he and Waggoner talk with John Harbaugh of the Ravens. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
All equipment gets a pregame check, including the portable replay booth. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
Steratore would face one particularly hard challenge on this afternoon. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
“I don’t think the heavy stuff is going to come down for quite some time.” (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
The microphone is fitted and tested. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
Steratore chatting with Chicago’s Devin Hester. . . (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
. . . and the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs. He and his crew have spent the week studying video of each team’s players and schemes. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
Stripes, but these guys aren’t stars. Steratore knows the best games are those when the officials go unnoticed. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)
The rockets’ red glare. (Jeff Haynes for SI/The MMQB)