Jason Campbell lined up behind center and looked up to see the first-team defense of the Baltimore Ravens.
Talk about getting thrown into the fire.
The second-year quarterback, competing for the Redskins' backup QB job with Todd Collins, saw his first signification action in nearly a year during Saturday's Redskins-Ravens scrimmage at FedExField.
"Their defense was kind of teeing off, but that was a good experience for us to go against them--especially their defensive backs, because they have some good ones," Campbell said. "It was good to have the opportunity to go out there and try to play against them, and just see what it's like at the top NFL defensive level."
The NFL does not maintain stats for scrimmages, but an unofficial tally had Campbell completing 4-of-7 passes for 48 yards.
During 7-on-7 drills, Campbell turned in an uneven performance. He threw some sharp, crisp passes over the middle, but he also threw short on a few easy passes in the flat. Campbell impressed with his scrambling ability, something that will certainly be a weapon in his arsenal when he sees playing time.
In the 11-on-11 scrimmage, Campbell completed several passes to tight end Robert Johnson and a 20-yard pass to undrafted rookie wide receiver Mike Espy on an out pattern.
He converted a successful drive when running back Jesse Lumsden broke several tackles and raced into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run.
Asked to assess his performance in the scrimmage, Campbell said: "I thought I did really well when I got comfortable, just being relaxed and throwing the deep ball and staying focused.
"I had so many high expectations, hearing the fans cheering when I got onto the field. I was trying to press a little bit early. Once I relaxed and became myself, everything else just came naturally."
Cambell is expected to serve a backup role in his second year in the NFL. Mark Brunell is the designated starter. Ten-year NFL veteran Todd Collins is also in the mix.
Campbell was drafted by the Redskins with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft
Campbell said it was a positive just to experience "game mode" again. He saw no action on game day last season, serving as the third quarterback.
"In the preseason, I know I'm going to get a whole lot and there is going to be a lot of things thrown at me," he said. "I was just happy to get back in game mode. It's different in practice, because [at the scrimmage] you get an opportunity to play in front of home fans and you get those first-game jitters out of the way."
