Broncos embarrass reeling Ravens, 34-17

• Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno runs for 118 yards and a touchdown
• Ravens QB Joe Flacco throws crucial interception that is returned for a TD near end of first half
• Denver has won nine consecutive games while Baltimore has dropped its last three

BALTIMORE -- Orlando Franklin could barely contain his outrage after tripping and stubbing his injured toe in a postgame locker room teeming with media members, each of them dwarfed by the 6-foot-7 Denver Broncos offensive tackle.

"Everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon!" he exclaimed. "Savage!"

That's what nine consecutive wins will do.

And these aren't the edge-of-your-seat, field-goal-as-time-expires Denver victories of the Tim Tebow days, only a year ago. This is a Peyton Manning team, one which defeated the Ravens 34-17 on Sunday, marking Denver's first triumph in six tries in Baltimore against the Ravens (9-5).

Whereas last year's Broncos slipped into the playoffs in 2011 with an 8-8 record while finishing with three losses in a row. These Broncos (11-3) have been peaking for two months, and are playing for a first-round playoff bye with two weeks remaining.

"It's not quite the same. We've got Peyton Manning, so of course it's different," says wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. "The Peyton-Mania is a little bigger than Tebow's."

Manning says he "probably still has some strength to recover" following multiple offseason neck procedures, but his teammates say his physical regeneration has progressed hand in hand with his mental adjustment to a new team. Manning passed for 204 yards on 17 of 28 passing for a touchdown on Sunday, extending his personal streak to nine wins over the Ravens which he started as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

"I think he's fully back. You can see a big difference between OTAs and now," Thomas says of Manning. "He knows what's going on at all times. It's both mental and physical. He's getting used to the new players, and he's getting stronger and stronger every week."

The Broncos offense started slow at M&T Bank Stadium, with Manning being sacked twice, overthrowing Thomas on a potential touchdown. Things picked up in the third quarter, when Manning led consecutive touchdown drives with big plays over the top of Baltimore's limping defense -- prompting Ravens safety Ed Reed to slam his helmet on the sidelines in disgust after a 51-yard third quarter bomb from Manning to Decker. Said Reed, "It felt like Christmas, but not for our side."

Despite the early hiccups for Denver, confidence was sky-high in the Broncos locker room. Cornerback Chris Harris who returned an interception of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco 98 yards for a touchdown – says Manning addresses the team as a whole almost daily.

"Peyton is a Super Bowl champion," Harris says. "It's different when you have that prestige. When you've won. He's already established. We follow his lead. We just try to make plays for him and give him the ball back."

Veteran defensive back Champ Bailey would like to see Denver's defense evolve from one that simply holds off teams to one that dominates games. And despite their top 10 rankings against the run and the pass, Bailey says they're not yet a great defense.

The Ravens didn't achieve a first down until there were about eight minutes left in the first half, and only converted one of 12 third downs on the day, yet Denver gave up touchdown passes of 31 and 61 yards in the fourth quarter, and didn't sack Flacco until late in the game. Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta's 61-yard romp was especially troubling – he broke about a half dozen tackles on the way.

"One thing we wanted to improve on was finishing, and we didn't do that very well today," Bailey said. "You saw the fourth quarter. Great defenses don't do that. The fourth quarter is not who we are. We can't keep putting that on film. We missed a few tackles, made a few bad angles. We've got to find a way to keep putting that pedal to the medal."

Convincing younger teammates to lay on the gas can be difficult, especially the way the Broncos have been cruising. Denver resides in one of the NFL's weakest divisions, with all three of their AFC West neighbors sitting below .500. But the Ravens are a year older, better for the addition of Manning and the arrival of coach John Fox, and convinced they'll go further than last season's divisional round playoff exit. Up next are the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, both of whom own losing records.

"We're a lot more mature, more confident, and jelled a lot more," says defensive end Elvis Dumervil. "We're still fighting for something -- home field advantage. We can take care of business now. We know how good we can be."