BALTIMORE — If you were looking for offense, this might not have been your thing.
If you were looking for an indication of the way the Panthers were continuing to play after many reasonable observers had written them off (at least on defense), it would likely suffice.
The Panthers walked into Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium as big underdogs against a team that had been better at them at the stuff they've been good at lately. They still lost and fell to 3-8 on the season, but they did what they needed to do on one side of the ball, at least.
The Panthers lost 13-3, but depending on your expectations of this one, it was closer for longer than many imagined. The game was tied 3-3 midway through the fourth quarter, and a kicking duel between Justin Tucker and Eddy Piñeiro on a windy day probably wasn't on anyone's bingo card either.
As such, it only took one key mistake to turn it.
Wide receiver Shi Smith's fumble at the Panthers' 31-yard line with 8:14 left set up the game's only touchdown, a 1-yard run by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson less than a minute later.
The Panthers never managed to get anything going offensively, with the Ravens shutting down a run game that had carried them lately. Carolina totaled just 36 yards on 17 carries.
And while quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't play particularly poorly for most of the day, he also didn't do much to move the offense.
The Panthers managed just 205 yards and Mayfield was sacked four times, in his first start since he was injured in Week 5. Since then, the Panthers changed coaches and traded Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson, but the offensive struggles remained consistent.
After the Smith fumble, Mayfield was sacked twice on the next drive and threw an interception on his next chance, never offering any spark.
He finished 21-of-33 for 196 and two interceptions after his final attempt of the game was batted at the line and picked off by outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul.
— The Panthers had just 63 yards in the first half, so trailing 3-0 at the break wasn't actually that bad.
Mayfield was 8-of-10 passing for 46 yards, but the biggest problem was they couldn't run the way they have lately.
They managed just 26 yards on 10 attempts in the half, with D'Onta Foreman leading the way with seven carries for 16 yards.
The Ravens entered the game third in the league in run defense, and it showed. Foreman, who had rushed for at least 118 yards in three of his past four games, finished with just 24 yards on 11 carries.
— Bravvion Roy recorded his first career interception in the second quarter, and returned it for 10 yards.
The 330-pound Roy got the second pick of the year for a Panthers defensive tackle, following Derrick Brown's against the Saints in Week 3.
View the best in-game photos from Carolina's Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
DT - 93 - Bravvion Roy
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks to pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) directs his team in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard (42) misses a pass as Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn (21) defends in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks to pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) is sacked in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (53) closes in on Baltimore Ravens running back Kenyan Drake (17) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (10) makes a first down as Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn (21) defends in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (left) makes the stop of Baltimore Ravens running back Kenyan Drake, right, in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen (6) and linebacker Roquan Smith (18) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) gains yardage in front of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (18) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) stops Carolina Panthers wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (15) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) takes off in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore (2) makes a catch in front of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters (24) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Bravvion Roy (93) and teammate safety Jeremy Chinn (21) celebrate an interception in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas (80) gains yardage as he is pursued by Baltimore Raven defenders in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Bravvion Roy (93) celebrates an interception in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay (13) gains a first down in front of Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
DE - 97 - Bravvion Roy
DE - 97 - Bravvion Roy
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
DE - 97 - Yetur Gross-Matos
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
LB - 40 - Brandon Smith
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
DT - 93 - Bravvion Roy
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
S - 42 - Sam Franklin
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
C/G - 56 - Bradley Bozeman
WR - 88 - Terrace Marshall Jr.
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
