BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- It was well worth the wait for Baltimore football fans.
Rookie Jamal Lewis provided the power, Shannon Sharpe the flair and Ray Lewis and Michael McCrary led yet another dominant defensive effort as the Baltimore Ravens rolled to a 21-3 victory over the Denver Broncos in the city's first playoff game in 23 years.
The Ravens (13-4), who closed the regular season with seven straight wins, will meet AFC Central rival Tennessee in the divisional playoffs on January 7. Baltimore is the only road team to win at Tennessee's Adelphia Coliseum.
"I was 2 years old when they last had a playoff game here," Ray Lewis said. "We're happy to be the team to bring playoff football back to Baltimore. It was a long time coming and the fans deserved this one. We love to play in our house."
The last time a team from Baltimore made the NFL playoffs was 1977. Owner Bob Irsay moved the Colts to Indianapolis in 1984, leaving Baltimore without an NFL team. Ravens owner Art Modell made a similar move in 1996, relocating his Cleveland Browns to Baltimore and renaming them.
Jamal Lewis played the role of workhorse today, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He plunged into the end zone from the 1-yard line in the second quarter and scored on a 27-yard run in the third quarter. Sharpe haunted his former team with the biggest play of the game, a 58-yard touchdown on a pass that deflected off two players in the second quarter.
A seven-time Pro Bowl tight end, Sharpe played his first 10 seasons with the Broncos and caught 552 passes for 6,983 yards and 44 touchdowns. He left after last season and signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Ravens.
Sharpe helped the Ravens reach the playoffs for the first time in the five-year history of the transplanted franchise with a team-leading 67 catches for 810 yards and five touchdowns.
Today, he got his chance to face the Broncos for the first time and stung them with his long TD with 4:06 left in the half after Denver scored its only points on a 31-yard field goal by Jason Elam. He finished with three catches for 73 yards.
"I was really a little nervous today," Sharpe said. "I wanted to do well and help my team win. I don't really think (the Broncos) gave up on me. (Denver coach) Mike (Shanahan) knew I could still play, but he didn't think I could play at the level that could justify that kind of money.
"But for what the Ravens brought me here for, the playoff experience, locker room leadership, I think that I've given them what they asked for."
The Broncos (11-6) averaged 30 points a game and entered as the AFC's second-best rushing team at 145 yards per contest. But they got past midfield just once against a defense that set league records for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165) and fewest rushing yards (970).
"I believe they have the best offense in the NFL, balanced run, pass, the entire dynamic," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "So what does that say about our defense? I believe it's the best."
Denver's efficient offensive line was unable to open any holes consistently for rookie running back Mike Anderson against Baltimore's vaunted front seven.
Ray Lewis, the four-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, had seven tackles and an interception, while right end McCrary recorded three sacks.
"Their offensive line is based on finesse and technique," McCrary said. "This defensive line, we're finesse also, but we've also got some big people in the middle."
Tackles Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams clogged the middle and linebackers Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper cut off the outside. As a result, Anderson, who ranked third in the AFC with 1,500 rushing yards, was held to 40 on 15 carries.
Denver's inability to run the ball was more pronounced with a swirling wind making it difficult to throw effectively.
"I was happy to find the wind swirling and blowing hard," Siragusa said. "The Broncos knew they had to run. We knew they had to run. And you know what, nobody runs against us."
Gus Frerotte, 4-2 as a starter during the season, played for the injured Brian Griese and completed 13-of-28 passes for 124 yards with an interception. Rookie Jarious Jackson replaced Frerotte with 4 1/2 minutes left and was 5-of-10 for 54 yards.
Griese, the NFL's top-rated passer this season, has been bothered by a troublesome shoulder that will require offseason surgery.
The Broncos managed just nine first downs and 177 total yards. They were 3-for-16 on third-down conversions and 1-for-3 on fourth down.
"If they keep winning, their defense will be compared as one of the best of all time," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "But it's all predicated on winning. When you win Super Bowls, I think you always put those defenses in an elite class. If Baltimore can do that, I think this defense will be considered one of the best of all time."
Of Denver's 14 possessions, seven were in three-and-outs and two others ended in turnovers.
Baltimore's Trent Dilfer completed 9-of-14 for 130 yards and left briefly in the third quarter with a mild concussion after he was hit on a safety blitz by Billy Jenkins.
But the Ravens did not need Dilfer to do much with Jamal Lewis moving the chains and the defense controlling the line of scrimmage.
On Denver's second play from scrimmage, a short pass by Frerotte went off Ed McCaffrey's hand and was intercepted by Ray Lewis, who returned it four yards to the Broncos 39.
But the Ravens were unable to capitalize when defensive tackle Trevor Pryce batted a pass by Dilfer on a third down play at the 34, forcing Baltimore to punt.
A 12-yard pass from Dilfer to Sharpe started Baltimore on a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive, resulting in Jamal Lewis' one-yard touchdown with 11:43 left in the half. Lewis broke off a 20-yard run before he plunged in from the 1.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos managed their initial first down on a 13-yard run by Anderson with 11:29 remaining. Denver proceeded to drive 68 yards in 12 plays, including pass completions of 15 and 24 yards to Rod Smith.
But the Broncos had to settle for a field goal after Anderson was stuffed for no gain by Siragusa and Larry Webster on 3rd-and-1 at the Baltimore 12.
After the ensuing kickoff, Sharpe made the play that deflated Denver. Dilfer threw a short pass to his right that went off the hands of Jamal Lewis and Broncos cornerback Terrell Buckley before it was grabbed by Sharpe at the Baltimore 45.
Sharpe eluded linebacker Bill Romanowski at the 45 and Al Wilson failed in an attempt to make a diving tackle. Sharpe raced down the right sideline and cruised into the end zone when receiver Pat Johnson blocked cornerback Jimmy Spencer inside the 10.
"They threw it to Jamal and Jamal's favorite candy bar is Butterfinger, and he showed it today," Sharpe joked. "The ball popped up in the air and I thought `T Buck' was going to pick it. I was in the right place at the right time."
"Freak play, one of those plays where luck was on their side," Wilson said. "Shannon was at the right place at the right time."
Denver totaled 40 yards in 31 plays on its next eight possessions before Frerotte was yanked.
The Broncos were backed up on their own 13 when they were forced to punt. Jermaine Lewis returned it 17 yards to the Denver 28.
Two plays later, Jamal Lewis ran behind a crushing block by tackle Jonathan Ogden and scored on a 27-yard run to increase the lead to 21-3 with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
