BALTIMORE -- It wasn't an aberration.
What the Pittsburgh Steelers did to the Carolina Panthers a week ago became the norm when the Baltimore Ravens did the same thing in Carolina's 38-10 loss Sunday at M&T Stadium.
A defense that looked every bit as good as the past year's second-ranked unit in the first two games has become so undisciplined, so unable stop the run and get to the quarterback, that former Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith made a mockery of it.
On and off the field.
"I'll give you a one-liner: That film was a coaching session," Smith said after he caught seven passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns against the team that released him in March. "They're going to be coaching how, at 35 years old, a man ran around boys like they were schoolyard kids."
Yes, it was that bad.
After giving up 21 points in their first two games, the Panthers have surrendered 75 in their past two. Not since 1998, when Carolina lost 37-30 to Green Bay and 51-23 to Atlanta, has a Carolina defense given up 37-plus points in consecutive games.
The team that led the NFL in sacks the past season with 60 and was among the league leaders with seven in the first two games had none against Baltimore after getting just one in a 37-19 loss to Pittsburgh.
The team that prided itself on being stingy against the run gave up 127 yards on the ground after surrendering 264 against Pittsburgh.
Nobody is willing to admit there's a correlation between this collapse and Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy's going on the commissioner's exempt list until his domestic violence case is resolved.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera looked almost in shock at what has happened in consecutive weeks.
"Especially [considering] the fact that we worked on certain things," Rivera said. "We have to find answers, and we have to do it quickly."
He's right about that. After next week's home game against Chicago, the Panthers (2-2) face Cincinnati, Green Bay, Seattle, New Orleans and Philadelphia. All five of those teams reached the playoffs the past season.
In other words, this season could get ugly in a hurry.
As well as Smith played, as much as he -- at least in his mind -- proved the Panthers made a mistake in letting him go, he wasn't the difference. Unless Smith could sack the quarterback, stop the run and protect Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, he wouldn't make this team significantly better.
Smith did make cornerback Melvin White look like a "schoolyard kid," though. White bit on a double move that freed Smith to catch a tipped pass for a 61-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
In the second quarter, he let Smith get behind him for a 21-yard touchdown that not even pass interference could stop. And this was a play in which Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco dropped the snap to throw off the timing of the play.
Smith's second touchdown got White benched in favor of Josh Norman. It might get him benched permanently.
"If we're not going to maintain our composure when we're playing, I'll make changes," Rivera said. "I'm not going to stand for that."
It wasn't just the defense that was undisciplined. There were 12 men on the field -- twice. The first time negated a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a first down. The second gave the Ravens a first down after they'd punted to start the second half.
Seven plays later, wide receiver Torrey Smith caught a 24-yard touchdown to make it 28-7.
That was the same snowball effect that occurred against Pittsburgh. It wasn't an aberration.
