DENVER -- Since 1995, Mike Shanahan's Denver Broncos have rushed for more yards than any team in the NFL, 13,702 yards to be precise.

From Terrell Davis to Olandis Gary to Mike Anderson, Shanahan's offensive scheme, coupled with Alex Gibbs' run-blocking style, have annually produced 1,000-yard runners. The Broncos are to running what the Ravens are to defense -- masters. Denver's 20-13 setback Sunday against the Ravens was a statement. The Broncos bowed to the masters by resorting to trickery and finesse.

	Broncos tight end Desmond Clark fumbles the ball after being tackled by Corey Harris.

Three times on 1-yard situations, Shanahan spread the field with receivers and emptied his backfield. What's the old axiom? If you can't power the ball for a yard, you shouldn't win. Well, justice was served Sunday because Shanahan's trickery was stuffed in the team's face.

Once, it worked. Broncos quarterback Brian Griese emptied the backfield and carried the ball for a first down -- barely. That angered the Ravens' defense in a way that on the next three plays it pushed back the Broncos a combined 9 yards and forced them to punt.

"I have something to live by," Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis said. "You don't have to respect nobody, but don't disrespect nobody. For so long, everybody was disrespecting our defense. Their offense is supposed to be so high-powered. What did they have? Fifty yards rushing (61 to be exact)? That sums it up by itself."

Maybe the Broncos showed them too much respect. In the final minute of the third quarter, the Broncos had a third-and-1 at their own 30. Empty backfield. Empty play. Lewis sacked Griese for a 3-yard loss. Trailing 20-13 in the fourth quarter, the Broncos lined up for a fourth-and-1 at the Ravens' 19. Same thing. Empty backfield. Griese tried a quick pass to tight end Desmond Clark, but he dropped it.

"We pretty much knew they were going to do it after they watched the tape of the Bengals game last week," defensive tackle Tony Siragusa said. "So we ran a package that subbed with me in there hanging in the middle of the field. Teams have had success running against our nickel package or with three guys on the line. So they were probably shocked when they went four and five receivers to see me out there and Sam Adams out there. Pretty much the big guys are in there to try to contain them."

To be honest, the Broncos' running offense looked more like this year's Ravens. Rookie of the Year Anderson had 12 carries and 34 yards. Gary had six carries for 16 yards. Overall, the Broncos managed just 61 yards on 24 carries.

"Hey, that's like our offense, man," Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe said, joking to teammates on the sideline.

True, it is hard to run against the Ravens. They've had 40 consecutive games in which a back hasn't gained 100 yards. But you can't get 100 yards if you don't try to run. The Broncos dropped back to pass 38 times and ran only 24, and they held the lead from the first 20 seconds of the game until the Ravens tied it with 5:42 left in the third quarter.

"We went to the air initially to try and soften them up, and then came back to the run," Shanahan said. "We were not as effective in the running or passing games as we would have like to have been. We just weren't effective today."

Maybe Shanahan's run-shy attitude is a by-product of attrition. After all, the Broncos are playing without injured offensive stars Terrell Davis, Howard Griffith and Ed McCaffrey, who is a great downfield blocker. This is the Broncos' first season without veteran offensive linemen Tony Jones and Mark Schlereth, who have retired.

As John Elway can attest, though, the Broncos' runs to the Super Bowl were made because Davis pounded the ball on the ground in good, old Mile High Stadium. They've moved across the parking lot into Invesco Field at Mile High and decided to go high tech on normal short-yardage running plays. Baffling.

"You know, it's funny, but I'm more comfortable with our defense with a third-and-1 than with a third-and-10 or third-and-15 because that's one situation that we sometimes tend to let get away," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "Third-and-1 is our forte."

Give the Ravens credit. Even though they aren't a good running team due to the season-ending injury to Jamal Lewis, at least they kept trying the run. After the disastrous loss to the Bengals last week, the Ravens went back to a balanced attack. They ran 34 times for 112 yards and threw 30 times for 221.

	“	I think a lot of people were wondering if we were one-year wonders. We let people know we're kind of back. We're still the same team. We can win in hostile environments. We're back. ”
		— Peter Boulware, Ravens linebacker

"Everybody wrote us off thinking that we lost to Cincinnati," Sharpe said. "Everybody said that the season's over and we can't do this or we can't do that. They can't run. People can't tell us what we can't do. We don't have Jamal. We don't have a back that has the same things that Jamal has. We have three backs, and they can do little things. We can move the ball."

The only blunder was coming out on first down and calling for a pass. Quarterback Elvis Grbac threw a screen pass into the hands of Broncos defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who raced 17 yards to the Ravens' 3. Griese then hit tight end Dwayne Carswell with a 3-yard touchdown pass. Twenty seconds into the game, it was 7-0 Broncos.

"I guess it's our arrogance," Billick said. "You know when you spot a team like that seven points -- OK, let's do that first. Let them have seven points first."

But the Ravens were smart and arrogant enough to keep pounding the running game and doing it against their tendency into the middle or right side of the line. Their mission was to establish an identity that was missing from their first two games.

By the second half, Allen, bottled up for 29 yards on nine carries before the intermission, started breaking a few 6-yard runs and a second 12-yard run. In the fourth quarter, inexperienced Jason Brookins broke four rushes for 31 yards, including a 20-yarder. Unlike the Broncos, the Ravens followed their credo of doing what they want to do instead of what opponents want them to do.

"It's hard to play in Mile High because of the air," Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis said. "I tried to jog this morning and I felt it. But by the end of the game, we were playing well and they were the team sucking wind."

"We took a big step today," Sharpe said. "We beat Chicago at home, but everybody expected that. But everybody knows what you have to do to beat a team like the Broncos on the road."

Added linebacker Peter Boulware: "I think a lot of people were wondering if we were one-year wonders. We let people know we're kind of back. We're still the same team. We can win in hostile environments. We're back."

The Broncos' past two defeats have been to the Ravens. They've rushed for a total of 105 yards in those two games. Their only touchdown was set up in those two games by McGlockton, whose 17-yard interception was longer than anything produced by a Broncos back.

While the Ravens left the field with Mile High confidence, the Broncos left wondering about themselves.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.