Unbeaten Broncos, desperate Ravens both emerge from bye week

BALTIMORE - The Denver Broncos are unbeaten because they have the top-ranked defence in the NFL and a quarterback who is very protective of the football.

It's a formula that for years worked quite well for the Baltimore Ravens, who have lost three straight.

One team is undefeated, the other desperate. It should make for a very interesting Sunday afternoon for a couple of well-rested AFC powerhouses coming off a bye.

"It doesn't get any better for football," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis(notes) said. "There are a couple teams left undefeated. I'm OK with not being undefeated, because I want to do some other things. Those guys are in a great position right now. The bottom line is, the Broncos are playing very sound football right now. They have a reason to be undefeated."

Reason No. 1 is a defence that has allowed an NFL-low 66 points, including 10 in the second half. Denver has given up only five touchdowns in 66 possessions and leads the league in third-down defence (27 per cent conversion rate).

All of this has come under the direction of co-ordinator Mike Nolan, who held the same job with Baltimore earlier this decade.

"Mike's a very good communicator," Denver's rookie head coach Josh McDaniels said. "I think that's very important for every coach, and Mike certainly has the great ability to get his players to understand what he's asking them to do and then get it out of them. He's very intelligent."

Nolan's defence has been aided by an offence run by quarterback Kyle Orton(notes), who has thrown nine touchdown passes and only one interception - on a why-not heave at the end of a half. Orton's careful play has enabled the Broncos to compile a plus-7 turnover differential and, of course, a 6-0 record.

Denver hopes the same philosophy can work against the Ravens (3-3).

"They're very good. I don't think we're going to be intimidated by anybody," former Baltimore receiver Brandon Stokley(notes) said. "We will have to be very good on offence, and be smart, to be successful against that type of defence."