BALTIMORE -- All of the concerns about Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Matt Schaub were temporarily squelched on his best throw of the summer.
In his first preseason drive with the Ravens, Schaub stepped up in the pocket and delivered a 45-yard touchdown strike to Michael Campanaro. For someone who didn't show much arm strength in the first 10 practices of training camp, Schaub hit a wide-open Campanaro right on target with a throw that traveled 32 yards in the air.
Schaub, who has struggled over the last two seasons, didn't want to overanalyze a solid performance in the Ravens' 30-27 win over the New Orleans Saints.
"I don't look at it as a chance to redeem myself," he said. "I got to go out and just prove I can play in this league. That's what everyone has to do, no matter if you're a rookie or a 20-year veteran. You've got to come out every day and prove that you deserve a spot."
Schaub led the Ravens on scores in his first three drives and finished 11 of 18 for 134 yards. He could've had another touchdown pass if tight end Maxx Williams held onto the ball in the end zone. It was a tough catch to make, but Schaub put it in the only spot he could given where the two defenders were converging.
Even Schaub's biggest mistake of the night can't be totally blamed on the 12-year veteran. He was intercepted by rookie fifth-round pick Damian Swann in the third quarter, but wide receiver Jeremy Butler has to share responsibility for that turnover.
"The one miscue [he] probably could have had a little more help in terms of the receiver coming back to the football, and we all know that," coach John Harbaugh said.
Schaub, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Ravens, is trying to get himself back on track. He was benched in Houston in 2013, and he was beaten out by rookie second-round pick Derek Carr in Oakland in 2014.
In his first outing with the Ravens, he showed more more promise and playmaking ability than he did in camp.
"You've got to play with confidence, no matter what," Schaub said. "As the quarterback, whether the play goes the way you want it or not the way you want it, you've got to go back the next play and you've got to forget about it. You've got to have amnesia, good or bad in this business, or else it's going to eat you alive."