DENVER -- Shannon Sharpe knew his return to Denver would bring back a lot of memories, even though Mile High Stadium sat idle in the parking lot next to Invesco Field.

For one of the league's most talkative players, he felt a little uncomfortable. Broncos fans booed him at the start of Sunday's 20-13 Ravens victory over the Broncos. That was OK. Boos inspire him.

What made him most uncomfortable, though, was his role. Normally, a go-to player, Sharpe had only one reception for a puny 4 yards in the first half. He didn't complain. He knew that quarterback Elvis Grbac was feeling his way in his third Ravens start. Sharpe practiced patience and professionalism.

	“	You all remember me? I used to do this right across the street. ”
		— Shannon Sharpe to the Broncos bench

"I kinda wanted the boos so I could get up and celebrate after a catch," Sharpe said. "But I thought that I can't do that."

But in the second half, the Broncos let Sharpe be Sharpe. Offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh told him the words he heard so many times at Mile High. "No. 84, we need you to step up and make some plays."

Sharpe caught four passes for 46 yards in the second half and paced the comeback from a 13-6 halftime deficit to a 20-13 victory. During the Ravens' game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Sharpe had catches of 17 and 11 yards that set up first downs that frustrated the Broncos defense.

His first catch was perfectly timed. He caught a 17-yarder on safety Kenoy Kennedy along the sidelines in front of the Broncos' bench.

"You all remember me?" Sharpe said to the Broncos' bench. "I used to do this right across the street."

Sharpe's second catch of the drive seemed to put a dagger in the defense. The Ravens had a third-and-6 at the Broncos' 48. Sharpe gained 11, and the running game opened up for runs of 20 and 7 for inexperienced Jason Brookins.

"When they call my number, I'm ready," Sharpe said. "The more passes I caught, the more confidence I got."

Ravens coach Brian Billick said it was only natural for Sharpe's No. 84 to be more prominent in the fourth quarter of big games.

"You go to your best player," Billick said. "It was important to Shannon that in crunch time, we got to him just like Denver would go to Rod Smith. They had to know that. He's an outstanding player."

As he walked off the field before cameras and microphones, Sharpe, though in a different uniform, felt plenty of nostalgia. Fans were cheering him. He was victorious.

	Travis Taylor caught four passes for 90 yards and one touchdown Sunday.

"I think I played within myself," Sharpe said. "I didn't want to get too excited and drop the ball. They called my number today."

Taylor steps up
The Ravens gave second-year receiver Travis Taylor the start partially because of a sore knee by starting flanker Brandon Stokeley and partially because of his talent. Taylor responded with a big day. He caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. It might take time for Stokeley to regain his job.

"That's what you expect about a Travis Taylor," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "When you pick a guy 10th, you expect a certain level of production. Now, he has to come back and do that week after week. You've got to remember how young he is. This is really just a rookie year for him -- last year should have been his senior year at Florida."

Boulware a big hit
The hardest hit of the game came in the third quarter when Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware chased Brian Griese on a quarterback scramble and slammed into nose tackle Tony Siragusa after making the tackle.

Both players had to be helped off the field. Boulware came back against the wishes of the team doctor and tackled Griese for a 1-yard gain on third down that forced a punt.

"I knew it was going to be crucial to get back in the game," Boulware said. "The doc said to stay out, but by the time I got back on the field, I was getting some clarity in my head."

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.