It was a routine route that Ravens rookie wide receiver Michael Campanaro ran Sunday, but it was a meaningful one considering it had been in a while since he had played in a game.
The River Hill graduate caught a 17-yard pass from quarterback Joe Flacco during the Ravens' 20-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. It marked Campanaro's first game that he had been active for since pulling his hamstring Oct. 26 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"It felt good to be back out there and contributing to the team, it felt great," Campanaro said. "Any time I get any opportunity out there, I'm just trying to make a play. I'm trying to give the offense a little spark. Any time I get an opportunity, I'm trying to help."
Campanaro finished the regular season with seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, including a career-high three catches for 40 yards against the Bengals before he was injured. The seventh-round draft pick from Wake Forest was active for just four games during the regular season because of injuries and ranking behind veteran wide receivers on the depth chart.
"Any time you're out for a while, getting back on the field in a game, it's just different than practice, and you just can't explain it," Campanaro said. "It's just different. It's good to just get my feet wet again. I hope there's more to come."
awilson@baltsun.com
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