ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --In Sunday's win against the Indianapolis Colts, the emotion of the Baltimore Ravens was evident.
The club welcomed back its leader, linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced earlier in the week that he will retire at the end of the season.
That emotion helped lead the club to a victory in the Wild Card Round, setting up a rematch with the Broncos this Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
"Of course they're going to be amped up, getting Ray Lewis back, getting some guys healthy," linebacker Wesley Woodyard said. "But they have to travel here to Denver. It's a playoff game. Everybody's emotions are going to be running high."
Wide receiver Eric Decker said "the beauty of football" is that it's played with so much emotion on a week-to-week basis, and Denver's job this week is to match Baltimore's intensity.
Tight end Jacob Tamme agreed that the Ravens "come out with a lot of energy," but said that's a characteristic of the Broncos as well.
"They play with a lot of confidence, but so do we," Tamme said. "So we'll take it out there Saturday and see what we can do."
BAILEY'S FUNDAMENTALS KEY
Cornerback Champ Bailey, along with tackle Ryan Clady, was named to the 2012 USA Football All-Fundamentals Team on Monday.
The team honors 26 players for using proper form and technique that young players can emulate.
Cornerback Chris Harris agreed with the honor, noting that Bailey has taught him plenty about the right way to play the game.
"Just the little stuff -- coming out of my breaks fast, learning how to press," Harris said. "I definitely pride myself on having great technique. That's really what has brought me pretty far. Having great technique and just watching Champ and learning from him has definitely helped me."
Safety Mike Adams said Bailey's influence on the team goes far behind his proper technique. His knowledge of the defensive scheme allows him to communicate quickly with everyone else in the secondary.
"I don't even have to talk to him much -- sometimes, we give a little head nod," Adams said. "The communication back there is unbelievable. We know each other. We're working off each other. We're doing different things. It goes a long way having his experience back there, and it helps."
TWO SIGNED TO FUTURE CONTRACTS
On Monday, the Broncos welcomed back a familiar face.
Wide receiver Gerell Robinson -- a college teammate of quarterback Brock Osweiler and cornerback Omar Bolden at Arizona State -- signed a future contract with the team.
Robinson spent the 2012 preseason with the team, catching four passes for 53 yards in four games. The rookie spent most of the regular season on the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad.
The team also signed guard Justin Boren to a future contract. Boren is a first-year player who spent the past two seasons between the Detroit Lions' and Baltimore Ravens' practice squads.
Boren was originally signed as a college free agent by the Ravens in 2011.
