OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The reported loss of running back Danny Woodhead for six to eight weeks puts a big hole in the Baltimore Ravens' short passing game.

One potential replacement for Woodhead's role as the catalyst out of the backfield might surprise you.

"Hopefully, we have some guys that can step up and hit some plays," quarterback Joe Flacco said after Sunday's 20-0 win. "Mike Campanaro is one of those quick little guys that can do stuff on the side."

Michael Campanaro is a somewhat out-of-the-box suggestion because he is a wide receiver who has lined up in the slot for a majority of his four-year NFL career. But this makes sense when you consider Campanaro has a similar build to Woodhead, possesses excellent lateral agility and shows awareness of how to find holes in the defense. He would just have to move to the backfield, where he has some familiarity as a running back during his high school days.

The other factor is the Ravens are set with their top three wide receivers in Jeremy Maclin, Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman. In Sunday's opener, Campanaro had trouble getting on the field as a receiver, playing a total of 13 snaps (20 percent).

By moving Campanaro into Woodhead's position, the Ravens can utilize a player who's extremely shifty and can make defenders miss with his sharp cuts. Baltimore likes to get the ball in Campanaro's hands because it uses him as a punt returner and runs the occasional jet sweep with him.

The Ravens were excited about how Woodhead would exploit matchups against linebackers and turn short passes out of the backfield into big chunks. Woodhead has made a living off doing this, averaging 4.5 receptions per game since 2013 -- second to only Le'Veon Bell (4.8) over that span.

It was evident how much Baltimore was going to rely on Woodhead. He was targeted four times and ran the ball once on the first 13 drives of the opening series before injuring his hamstring.

“You can see what he’s capable of doing," Flacco said. "It will definitely hurt us a little bit not having him out there."

The Ravens certainly have other options. Backup running back Buck Allen has good hands and caught 45 passes as a rookie in 2015. Starting running back Terrance West was once praised by coach John Harbaugh for how much he improved in his route-running. There's also the possibility of one of the two practice squad running backs -- Jeremy Langford (41 career catches in two seasons) and Alex Collins (who caught all 11 passes thrown his way last season) -- could step up as well.

But none is as intriguing as maximizing the talent of Campanaro.