CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Carolina Panthers held the NFL's best pass rush without a sack in their 36-21 victory. Any dirt on Cam Newton's uniform was his own doing.
It wasn't just that matchup at the line of scrimmage _ Carolina outclassed Baltimore in essentially every facet of the game.
The Ravens' league-leading scoring defense surrendered its season average before halftime. Their vertical passing game was limited dinking-and-dunking whenever Joe Flacco had time to throw. Its offense, which had turned the ball over four times in its previous five games, coughed it up three times.
The game's blissful wackiness was clear from the first quarter. Baltimore took its only lead of the game on its opening drive but Carolina tied it up on a Christian McCaffrey run _ during which he bounced off more teammates than Ravens defenders. D.J. Moore cashed in on the early hilarity, scooping up a botched pitch in stride in the second quarter and charging forward for a 28-yard gain.
Two plays later, a deflected Newton pass ricocheted into McCaffrey's arms in the endzone for the Panthers' third touchdown of the game.
Even backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke completed a pass _ before garbage time, with a healthy Newton watching from the sideline.
It was just that kind of day.
