The Panthers gave up a league-record 534 points during the 2024 season and signs that this season would look different were hard to find in the first two weeks.

Week 3 brought a very different outing from the defense. They forced three turnovers and defensive back Chau Smith-Wade returned an interception for a touchdown in a 30-0 win that moved the team to 1-2 on the season.

After the game, Smith-Wade said the defensive turnaround was a result of the unit deciding they weren’t going to settle for the same kind of performance.

“We were fed up,” Smith-Wade said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “We made a bond. We decided to come out here tenacious and change the subject.”

The defense was helped by a turnover-free performance by the offense and repeating that balance will be the goal for Carolina against the Patriots next Sunday and in the weeks to come.