While Baltimore Ravens starting QB Joe Flacco is recovering from injury, former Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett has been filling in with the first-team offense.

On Thursday night, Mallett started the Ravens’ preseason opener against the Washington Redskins and performed well, completing nine of his 18 pass attempts for 58 yards.

After the game, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh complimented the ex-Razorback, saying Mallett’s play was a big reason the Ravens earned a 23-3 victory (via BaltimoreRavens.com):

“I thought he played winning football,” Harbaugh said. “He played good football, just what we asked him to do.”

The Ravens expect Flacco to be healthy for the start of the regular season, so Mallett will likely open the season as the backup. However, it’s nice for Mallett to know that his coach has confidence in him if Flacco has any setbacks in his recovery.