Broncos Buck Dolphins

DENVER--A meaningful game is all the motivation that Terrell Davis and the Denver Broncos need.

On the day he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, Davis ran for 199 yards in 21 carries Saturday to lead Denver to a 38-3 win over Miami that put the league's defending champions in the AFC championship game here next Sunday.

"This was as focused as we have been, and we played our best game all year," said John Elway, whose second meeting in 19 days with Dan Marino was relegated to a supporting role because of Davis. "A lot of people were jumping off the bandwagon."

Miami coach Jimmy Johnson, meanwhile, jumped on.

"Denver played like they'll repeat as Super Bowl champs," he said.

He was right.

Denver totally dominated, scoring touchdowns the first three times it had the ball as it jumped to a 21-3 halftime lead over a team it had lost to 31-21 in Miami on Dec. 21. That was the second straight defeat for Denver after winning its first 13 games.

"It's tough to win 13 games and then play two games that don't mean anything," said Davis, who had 129 yards on 16 carries in the first half, exactly 100 yards more than he had in Miami, where he was 16-for-29 for the entire game. In this one, he left with a slight leg cramp early in the fourth quarter, I yard short of 200 for the game.

Davis' heroics came against a Miami defensive line that was missing two starters, Pro Bowler Tim Bowens and Jason Taylor. That was one reason Denver scored three rushing touchdowns against a defense that allowed just six TDs on the ground in the regular season.

The Denver defense, meanwhile, dominated against an offense also missing two key starters, tight end Troy Drayton and left tackle Richmond Webb.

But the game also demonstrated that Denver had regained the Super Bowl form it showed in winning its first 13 games--perhaps even more so. Among other one-sided stats, the Broncos had a 250-14 edge on the ground.

The Broncos (15-2) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, taking 7 minutes and 55 seconds to score the first time on a 1-yard run by Davis, then using just four plays to go 66 yards for the second score, a 20-yard run by Davis in which he left Miami's Ray Hill grasping for air.

Miami (11-7) closed to 14-3 on Olindo Mare's 22-yard field goal, but Denver came back with another long drive, 87 yards in 11 plays capped by Derek Loville's 11-yard run that made it 21-3 at halftime.

Then Davis went 62 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the second half to set up Jason Elam's 32-yard field goal.