OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens finished the first quarter of the season at 3-1 and have passed several big tests both on and off the field.

Baltimore has been able to overcome injuries on both sides of the ball with several role players filling the void. The Ravens have also been able to successfully deal with obstacles involving the Ray Rice domestic abuse case, which has put the franchise under increased scrutiny.

After a season-opening loss to the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore has put together three consecutive wins, including dominant victories over AFC rival Pittsburgh and what was supposed to be a tough Carolina Panthers team. Baltimore now faces another tough stretch with two straight road contests against the Indianapolis Colts’ high-flying offense and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who knocked off the Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday.

The Ravens, though, have shown resiliency in the face of adversity.

Quarterback Joe Flacco has been thriving under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Through four games, Flacco has completed 97 of 153 passes for 1,055 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. He is ranked eighth among all NFL quarterbacks for passing.

“It’s not like we’re doing anything complicated out there,” Flacco said. “We’re going out, and we’re playing football and doing what we’re supposed to do. I’d say, ‘yes,’ this is what it’s supposed to look like, and we just have to make sure to continue to do it.”

After Rice was cut from the team for assaulting this then-fiancee in an Atlantic City casino, the Ravens moved forward by rotating their running backs. Bernard Pierce was the backup behind Rice, but he has suffered from injuries and was benched against the Cincinnati Bengals after a fumble.

As a result, veteran Justin Forsett has emerged as the starter. He ran for 66 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown in the 38-10 victory over the Panthers and is ranked ninth in the NFL with 255 yards on the season.

“I don’t know when my number will be called,” Forsett said. “I just try to play and prepare as if I’m starting and whatever happens, happens. You can’t control when you’re in, but when your numbers called you gotta produce.”

Forsett also credited Kubiak for the way the offensive guru has managed the running backs.

“I feel like he kind of set the table for me,” Forsett said. “And I thank God for him and the opportunity I have here.”

Rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro has also been a pleasant surprise and worked himself into the lineup. He also had 15 carries against the Panthers for 58 yards. Taliaferro said the Ravens have an old-school philosophy when it comes to running the football.

“It’s nothing fancy. It’s make your read, and get downhill,” “Taliaferro said. “Football is north and south to the end zone. Anytime you can, just get downhill.”

Pierce, who has dealt with a thigh injury, did not get a carry against Carolina even though he was active.

“When, and if you get out there, you need to be 100 percent,” coach John Harbaugh said he told Pierce before the game. “Whatever percent you are, be 100 percent.’ But, it turned out we didn’t need to go with him, so it was a plus for us.”

Despite the strong running game, wide receiver Steve Smith has been the main catalyst for the offense and he is a favorite target for Flacco. Smith has three 100-yard receiving games so far this season. Against his former team, the Panthers, Smith caught 7 passes for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

At age 35, he is third in the NFL with 429 receiving yards. However, the savvy veteran is confident the best is still ahead of him. The goal now is to get the Ravens their third Super Bowl.

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here,” Smith said.

Defensively, the Ravens have to get to more pressure on the quarterback to take some of the burden off the secondary, which has been short-handed with the lower back injury to Lardarius Webb. Entering the game against the Panthers, the Ravens had recorded just three sacks in their first three games. Baltimore responded with two sacks against Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. Linebacker Terrell Suggs recorded his first sack of the season. Fellow linebacker Elvis Dumervil now leads the team with four.

Baltimore will have to maintain that pressure, especially against Andrew Luck and the Colts next week. Luck is the top-rated quarterback in the NFL with 1,305 yards in four games.

“You don’t want to have a team hitting you with both the run and the pass,” Suggs said. “If you can make a team one-dimensional, that’s always good.”

More good news came out of the Carolina game as the Ravens did not report any new injuries.

REPORT CARD VS. PANTHERS

PASSING OFFENSE: A – The Ravens dominated the Panthers through the air. Quarterback Joe Flacco went 22 of 31 for 327 yards and three touchdowns and had a franchise-record 137.4 passer rating. Wide receiver Steve Smith caught 7 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line did not allow a sack for the third straight game.

RUSHING OFFENSE: A-minus – The running game provided a solid balance to the passing attack. The Ravens rushed for 127 yards on 30 carries (4.2 yards per play), let by Justin Forsett for 66 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro also got 15 carries against the Panthers for 58 yards.

PASS DEFENSE: B-minus – The secondary allowed a 28-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Kelvin Benjamin. Other than that, Baltimore did manage to limit the Panthers’ aerial attack. Safety Matt Elam is going to have to improve on coverage as Newton tried to pick on him throughout the game. The secondary also appeared to have some communication issues.

RUSH DEFENSE: A – The Ravens dominated Carolina’s offensive line. The Panthers were held to just 67 yards rushing on 26 carries. Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and was limited to 11 carries for 34 yards, which still led the team.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B – The Ravens did not allow any big plays on special teams and did not make any mistakes. Jacoby Jones had just one punt return for 18 yards. Sam Koch had one punt for 39 yards. Justin Tucker made of one of his two field-goal attempts, missing from 57 yards (wide left).

COACHING: A – The Ravens were forced to deal with more fallout from the Ray Rice domestic abuse situation earlier in the week. However, coach John Harbaugh made sure his team was fully focused on Carolina. His players responded with a 38-10 victory. Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak put together an effective game plan with a nice mix of plays. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ group allowed just one touchdown on the day.