Joe Flacco dropped back to pass on the first third down of the Ravens' opening drive.
He looked to his left and fired a pass to veteran wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who found a soft spot in the defense just beyond the first-down marker.
Completion. First down.
Two plays later, Flacco went back to Stokley for a 7-yard gain. In just his second preseason game since coming to Baltimore as a free agent, Stokley showed Thursday night that he's quickly developing chemistry with Flacco and that he can become a reliable target for the offense.
"He runs great routes," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He does a great job of getting loose and getting open against pretty much every coverage. It was good to see."
Stokley finished the game with three catches for 43 yards, and two of those receptions went for first downs.
The Ravens signed the 14-year veteran last week to bring in a proven receiver who can move the chains. He's a polished slot receiver who racked up 45 catches for 544 receiving yards last year with the Denver Broncos.
After trading Anquan Boldin to San Francisco this offseason, Baltimore needed a receiver with good hands who can work the middle of the field and move the chains. Stokley is showing he could be that target.
While Stokley got off to a good start with Flacco, veteran tight end Dallas Clark did not have as strong of a night in his preseason debut. Clark started the game, but finished with no catches on two targets.
"It just seemed like he didn't get too many opportunities," Harbaugh said.
Flacco threw Clark's direction twice, but both passes fell incomplete. One of the targets was a seam route over the middle of the field in tight traffic, and Clark did not get fully extended for the pass that bounced off his hands. The other attempt was a pass in the flat that Clark dropped, but a penalty negated that play.
"I think he had the one seam route that was a little high and would have been a tough grab," Harbaugh said. "I would have loved to have seen him get a chance, but sometimes the coverage just doesn't allow that."
