Baltimore 20, Miami 3

MIAMI, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The defense that led Baltimore to a Super Bowl title 12 months ago reappeared Sunday and Elvis Grbac directed two cross-country drives that carried the Ravens into the second round of the playoffs with a 20-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Baltimore became the only visiting team to win on the opening weekend of the Super Bowl chase and once more displayed the formula it used to claim the NFL crown last season -- a suffocating defense combined with a mistake-free offense that produced timely big plays.

"We played a great game, ran the ball well and played great defense," said Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the MVP of last season's Super Bowl. "Our defense took us to the Super Bowl last year and the world saw what we did tonight. We played great ball all around the table."

Ravens Coach Brian Billick improved to 5-0 in the postseason and will go after win No. 6 next Sunday against the AFC Central champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore and Pittsburgh split their two meetings during the regular season, each team winning on the road in games decided by a total of eight points.

A year ago, Baltimore set the NFL record for fewest points in a 16-game season (165) and its defense then allowed just one touchdown in four playoff games. The Ravens again kept an opponent out of the end zone Sunday, allowing 151 total yards, recording three sacks and producing three turnovers -- one of them coming on a fluke bounce with nine minutes to play that symbolized Miami's frustrating afternoon.

Trailing by 14, owning the ball on the Baltimore 42 and needing a huge play to give them hope, the Dolphins appeared to have come up with it when Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler found receiver James McKnight racing behind the Baltimore secondary.

But McKnight stumbled as the ball arrived at the Ravens' four and it bounced off his shoulder pads into the hands of trailing defensive back Duane Starks. Instead of closing within seven points, Miami faced the reality of another early playoff exit. The Dolphins reached the playoffs each of the last four seasons, but did not get to the AFC Championship game in any of them.

Miami's only points came on Olindo Mare's 33-yard field goal just 2:14 into the game after Baltimore's Jermaine Lewis fumbled away the opening kickoff. Given that initial break, however, the Dolphins could not muster a first down.

"We did all the right things," said defensive tackle Tony Siragusa, who already has announced he will retire at season's end. "We ran the ball and stopped the run. It feels an awful lot like last year. The offense is running the ball and allowing the defense to go out there fresh."

With Terry Allen and Ray Brookins dominating the inside rushing game, Baltimore soon produced the only touchdown drive it needed -- a 90-yard, 17-play march that took up 8:51. Allen ended the drive with a four-yard run that made it 7-3 with 13:34 to play in the half.

"Our offensive line got into a rhythm," Allen said. "We knew it would be hard for them to stop our running game."

"That was surprising today, the way they ran the ball on us," Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt said. "They blocked us and we didn't get them on the ground. We are obviously a much better team than the way we played tonight."

The score was still 7-3 midway through the third quarter when Miami reached the Baltimore 40. Facing a fourth and one, Wannstedt chose to go for the first, but that attempt was spoiled when wide receiver Oronde Gadsden moved before the snap.

That mistake looked as if it might work out for the Dolphins when the ensuing punt pinned the Ravens at their own one-yard line.

With the crowd roaring in hopes of forcing what could have been a key Baltimore mistake on its own goal line, the Ravens produced two rushing plays for nine yards. Grbac then hit Travis Taylor down the right sideline with a 45-yard pass on third and one to silence the crowd. Seven plays later, Grbac threw four yards to Taylor for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

The 99-yard march used 11 plays and took 5:42 off the clock.

Baltimore's final points came on fourth-quarter field goals of 35 and 40 yards by Matt Stover -- the first one coming after Fiedler fumbled the ball away at midfield and the second coming after the bizarre interception by Starks.

Grbac completed 12 of 18 passes for 133 yards while Allen gained 109 yards on 25 carries and Brookins picked up 65 on 10.

"Elvis executed the game plan beautifully," Billick said. "He's really getting the feel of the flow of this offense. I have a lot of faith in him."

Fiedler was 15 of 28 for 122 yards and also was the leading rusher for the Dolphins, picking up 16 yards on three carries. Miami was limited to 46 yards rushing on 15 attempts.

Miami Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas had 22 tackles for Miami, but was visibly hampered by a torn shoulder muscle and made many of his stops after substantial gains.

"You have to earn everything you get against a defense like this and we just came up short," Fiedler said. "We just missed making a couple of big plays, but we had some chances."