OWINGS MILLS - No longer derided, doubted and disrespected, the Baltimore Ravens' resurgent secondary can validate their elite ranking today against the Denver Broncos' prolific passing game.

Heading into today's game at M&T Bank Stadium against the Broncos (2-2) and their top-ranked passing game, the Ravens (3-1) are looking for their fifth consecutive victory against the Broncos in Baltimore.

They'd also like to prove that being ranked atop the NFL in pass defense is no fluke.

"Yes, people are still skeptical," cornerback Fabian Washington said. "We can put to rest a lot of questions this game. A lot of people criticized us during the offseason, saying we couldn't do this, couldn't do that. And we've silenced a lot of those people.

"There are still people talking, and that's great. We can use that as motivation. And that's what we've been doing."

Despite not having former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Ed Reed at free safety due to an offseason hip surgery and starting cornerback Domonique Foxworth being lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the Ravens are allowing only 119 passing yards per contest. That's the fewest in the league.

The Broncos have a formidable passing game headlined by quarterback Kyle Orton.

He's already passed for 1,419 yards and six touchdowns, the second-most in four games in league history behind Kurt Warner who threw for 1,557 yards for the St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf a decade ago.

With three consecutive 300-yard games and a 96.3 passer rating, he's on pace for an NFL record 5,617 passing yards. Last year, Orton piled up a career-high 3,802 yards, 21 touchdowns and an 86.8 passer rating.

"As a secondary, you always want to have a challenge," cornerback Chris Carr said. "You always want work; you don't want to be bored out there. This is what we've been working for: to go out and show what we can do. I think we'll go out there and play well."

Even though the Ravens' lone interception this season is from All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the secondary has been extremely effective.

Opposing quarterbacks are averaging only 5.2 yards per passing attempt with one touchdown pass and a cumulative passer rating of 69.0.

And the Ravens have allowed opponents to convert third downs at a 23.5 conversion rate.

"I really can't wait," Washington said. "I feel like they're going to challenge us because they have four very good receivers, but I think we have five very good corners. I think we match up very well with them. We'll see what's their game plan come Sunday."

Orton has done an exceptional job of distributing the football.

Journeyman wide receiver Brandon Lloyd leads the Broncos with 25 catches for 454 yards followed by speedy Eddie Royal, who has caught 25 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

Jabar Gaffney has caught 22 passes for 240 yards and a score. And imposing first-round wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has 11 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Despite trading Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins, the offense hasn't skipped a beat.

"I really like my receivers," Orton said during a conference call with Baltimore reporters. "We've got a good group, guys that can really do a lot of things. Every one of them, when their number has been called, they've been making big plays for us."

Orton passed for a staggering 476 yards on 57 passes against the Indianapolis Colts, shredding them repeatedly with his series of accurate spirals.

So far this season, Orton has passed for 295 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 307 yards against the Seattle Seahawks and 341 yards last week against the Tennessee Titans while being sacked six times.

"I think Kyle just has such a great command of our offense," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "We don't really stay the same from one week to the next, and that's not an easy thing to transition to. If you're a quarterback that likes to do the same things over and over again, then our system's probably not great.

"Kyle has certainly worked really hard this offseason in training camp and this season to make sure that he's prepared as well as he can possibly be. He has great command of what we're doing. I feel very comfortable with his ability to execute our entire offense, and he's been very effective for us so far."

So far this season, the Ravens have handled quarterbacks Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Seneca Wallace and Charlie Batch.

However, Orton is a more difficult assignment.

"That's the point of playing: You're only going to be as good as the competition you play against," said free safety Tom Zbikowski, the stand-in for Reed. "So, showing up against the No. 1 passing team in the NFL is going to be big for us. They can spread the ball around. We definitely know what kind of challenge they present."

When he was at Notre Dame, Zbikowski played against Orton when he was starring at Purdue.

"The dude has always been able to play," Zbikowski said. "He was the best quarterback I played against. I remember when he was the front runner for the Heisman. He's accurate and has a fast release. He's a smart guy with a strong arm. He's tough, especially in this system."

The Broncos were undefeated at 6-0 when they arrived at Baltimore, but were defeated 30-7 by the Ravens and lost their next four games.

With starting running back Knowshon Moreno out today with a hamstring injury, the Broncos are unlikely to abandon their passing game no matter how things are going.

The Broncos have the worst running game in the league with an embarrassingly low 220 yards in four games. They're averaging just 2.2 yards per carry, one yard behind the 31st-ranked Ravens.

"They're throwing the ball so well, that it's probably why they're not having much success running," Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "They're slinging it all over the place, and they can always revert back to the run. It's something that we have to be ready for, but if they're throwing the ball all over the place, why change it?"

The Ravens are eager to test themselves against the statistically best passing offense in the league.

The Ravens aren't consumed with recognition.

As far as Carr is concerned, concentrating on the task at hand instead of the critics has helped them to play with a singular focus.

"It doesn't matter what's said or not said, it's what you do on the field," Carr said. "People can talk about how good we are and we can lay an egg. It's about being consistent. I think we know we have talent and we feel like we should play well every week.

"Everybody is professional and they know when they step on the field you want to represent yourself and your team well. I don't think it's so much about silencing critics. People have their own opinions. If you don't like it, deal with it. It's about what you actually do on the field."