BALTIMORE — Baltimore’s Steve Smith wore a baseball cap into M&T Bank Stadium prior to the Ravens’ game against Carolina Panthers with the slogan, “I (Heart) Haters” emblazoned across the front.

Smith, however, didn’t need a hat to send a message to his former team after they decided to cut ties with him after 13 seasons. Smith let his play do most of the talking as he tormented Carolina by catching seven passes for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Baltimore to a 38-10 victory over the Panthers on Sunday.

“I’m 35 years old and I ran around them boys like they were schoolyard kids,” Smith said.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was 22 of 31 for 327 yards with three touchdowns. He had a passer rating of 137.4.

“It was great to get a win for him, but he never made it so big that it was about him or anything like that,” Flacco said about Smith. “It was always about getting a victory for the team. We were glad to get it for him.”

After starting the season 2-0, Carolina has now lost two straight games — both to AFC North teams. The Panthers return home against the Chicago Bears in Week 5.

“You go out there and play,” Smith said. “You just start to understand that there’s a DB and a safety and guys are trying to hit you. You focus less on the jersey and start to focus on the scheme.”

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton played under consistent pressure for much of the game. He

completed 14 of 25 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown. He was also sacked twice.

“I thought he did some nice things,” Carolina coach Ron Rivera said about Newton. “He got pressured again. We got to do better. We have to protect him. We drove the ball a couple of times and put ourselves in position to score points. We can’t take the big sack and knock ourselves out of field-goal range.”

Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with a thigh injury. He left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and was limited to 11 carries for 34 yards. There was no update on his status after the game and he declined to speak with reporters.

Flacco went early and often to Smith, who had five catches for 122 yards and both of his touchdowns in the first half, helping the Ravens to a 21-7 lead at the break. Flacco then found wide receiver Torrey Smith for another 24-yard touchdown on the first possession of the third quarter to increase the margin.

Baltimore ran the ball for 127 yards on 30 carries as a team.

“We didn’t play very well,” Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said. “It’s got to be one of those things where you come back Wednesday and get ready to get better. They ran the ball well. That’s something we have to correct as a defense.”

After Graham Gano managed a 37-yard field goal for the Panthers, Baltimore put together another 80-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard run rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro and the Ravens led 35-10 with 11:34 left in the game.

Baltimore (3-1), which has won three consecutive games after a season-opening loss to the Bengals, now goes on the road for two straight weeks against the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What the Panthers said:

“I told him about how proud I was of him. He has a lot of tread on those tires. He’s like one of those big Tonka trucks. He is an unbelievably talented player and I respect him so much.” — Quarterback Cam Newton on Ravens receiver Steve Smith

–“We have to find answers and we have to do it quickly.” — Coach Ron Rivera

What the Ravens said:

“The most important thing is that he can footballs and score touchdowns and keep us on the field. It’s really simple. He’s a good football player. Anytime you can bring in someone else who can play football, your team gets better.” — Quarterback Joe Flacco on Steve Smith.

–“Defensively, we are doing well. We are executing more. Obviously, we need to tighten some things up, but other than that, we’re doing well and we are going to get better as the season goes.”

— Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams.

–“It was all business and that’s what it’s always going to be.”

— Wide reciever Steve Smith on playing his former team, the Carolina Panthers.

What we learned about the Panthers:

1. The Panthers have struggled to run the ball as the injuries continue to mount. DeAngelo Williams returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with a thigh injury. However, he left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and was limited to 11 carries for 34 yards. Darrin Reaves was forced to carry the load and he had just 26 yards on 12 carries. RBs Jonathan Stewart (knee) and Fozzy Whittaker (thigh) were both inactive because of injuries. To add depth to the poison, Carolina placed T Garry Williams on injured reserve and elevated RB Tauren Poole from the practice squad for depth. Carolina was held to just 67 yards on 26 carries for an average of 2.6 yards per carry against Baltimore. With the inability to establish an effective running game, quarterback Cam Newton has faced constant pressure. He was sacked twice by the Ravens before being pulled in the fourth quarter. “We’re playing two undrafted free agents right now at running back,”coach Ron Rivera said. “As of now, Darrin Reaves is a starter.”

2. The Panthers’ defensive struggled continued against Baltimore. Most notably, Carolina could not make the correct adjustments to offset the Ravens’ balanced attack. The biggest problem was the lack of pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacoo, who had too much time in the pocket. The Panthers did not register a sack. As a result, Flacco was 22 of 31 for 327 yards with three touchdowns. He had a passer rating of 137.4. The Ravens also ran for 127 yards on 30 carries. “Way too many missed assignments,” Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. “We have to find answers and we have to do it quickly. When we did create pressure, we were a step or two late. We’re going to find answers to get those things corrected.” With defensive end Greg Hardy out on an indefinite leave of absence, the Panthers are still trying to fill the void. Hardy, who commissioner’s exempt list, missed his third straight game for after being found guilty of domestic assault.

— LB Thomas Davis was inactive against the Ravens because of a hip injury. Earlier in the week, he had some limited participation in practice and hoped to return to the field. However, coach Ron Rivera wanted to be cautions with the injury. “As a player and as an organization, they had to make a decision and they felt I wasn’t ready,” Davis said after the game against Baltimore.

— TE Ed Dickson made his first appearance in Baltimore after the Ravens opted not to resign him after last season. Dickson, who was a third round pick by Baltimore in the 2010 draft, doesn’t have a catch through four games.

— RB Tauren Poole from the practice squad to add depth in the back field. Running backs Jonathan Stewart (knee) and Fozzy Whittaker (thigh) were both inactive against Baltimore because of injuries. We’re playing two undrafted free agents right now at running back,” coach Ron Rivera said.

— RB DeAngelo Williams returned to the lineup against the Ravens after missing the past two games with a thigh injury. However, his return was short-lived as he left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and was limited to 11 carries for 34 yards. Coach Ron Rivera did not have an update on Williams’ status following the game and the running back declined to speak with reporters.

— Darrin Reaves was named the starting running back by Panthers coach Ron Rivera following a 38-10 loss to the Ravens. The promotion has more to do with the number of injuries at the position than overall performance. Reaves ran for just 26 yards on 12 carries against Baltimore.

What we learned about the Ravens:

1. The Ravens appear ready to move forward with a running by committee philosophy. After cutting incumbent starter Ray Rice prior to their Week 2 game against the Steelers, the Ravens have rotated their running backs and varied the load. Bernard Pierce was the backup behind Rice, but he has suffered from injuries and turning the ball over. Veteran Justin Forsett has done a solid job replacing Pierce and has show he can carry the load. Forsett leads the team with 257 rushing yards and got the start against Carolina. He finished with 66 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro has also been a pleasant surprise and worked himself into the lineup. He also got 15 carries against the Panthers for 58 yards. “Justin dod a good job of powering the ball all day, so when I got in there, I just tried to keep it going,” Taliaferro said. Pierce did not get a carry against Carolina even though he was active.

2. Baltimore finally was effective getting pressure on the quarterback against the Panthers. Entering the game against the Panthers, the Ravens had recorded just three sacks in their first three games. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil had two of those sacks. LB Terrell Suggs (thigh) and DE Chris Canty (knee) missed practice time this week, but both were able to play against Carolina. As a result, this group was much more effective as Suggs registered his first sack of the season when he teamed with Dumervil to take down Cam Newton in the first quarter. Dumervil added another sack later in the game that took Carolina out of field goal range. “I think our defense did a good job of executing plays,” Suggs said. “I wouldn’t say we rattled [Newton] because he stuck in there and made some plays.”

— LT James Hurst made his first start at left tackle in place of the injured Eugene Monroe. The rookie Hurst went undrafted after a leg injury cut short his career at North Carolina, where he was a four-year starter and an All-ACC selection his senior year. Hurst did well in his first game with the first team as he did not allow a sack. Coach John Harbaugh was quick to compliment the rookie…sort of. “Well, I didn’t notice him, so that must be a good thing,” Harbaugh said. “I can’t wait to see it on tape, but it seemed like he played well.”

— CB Lardarius Webb did not suit up after not appearing on the injury report all week. Webb missed the entire preseason and the first two games of the season with a lower back injury. There has been some concern among the Ravens about whether Webb is fully ready to handle the physicality and pace of the game.

–RB Justin Forsett got the start against Carolina over Bernard Pierce, who missed the previous week with a thigh injury. Forsett ran for 66 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 31 yards. “He’s making yards after the hit on his own,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s kind of how you measure a back.”

–LB Terrell Suggs got his first sack of the season in the first quarter when he and Elvis Dumervil got hold of Carolina QB Cam Newton on a 3rd and long. Thar play also took the Panthers out of field goal range. I think our defense did a good job of executing plays,” Suggs said.