Recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him all last season, the Ravens' Jamal Lewis is a different running back.

He's more dominant.

Relying on power along with a better understanding of the game, Lewis has become the Ravens' most valuable player as well as the NFL's comeback kid, racking up 1,044 yards rushing this season and keeping on pace to break the franchise record he set as a rookie in 2000.

"I think he's better," said Sam Gash, Lewis' lead blocker in 2000 and now the Ravens' backup fullback. "He runs with more authority than he did back then."

After having his left knee surgically reconstructed only 15 months ago, Lewis appears to have lost a step but increased his punch. His style this season has become running over tacklers rather than outrunning them.

Despite the constant pounding, the Ravens' workhorse with one healthy leg has turned into their one-man gang, carrying the offense in the team's past two victories.

Over the past five quarters, Lewis has gained 186 yards rushing while the rest of the team has produced 140 yards of total offense. He has accounted for 57 percent of the offense during that time and has carried the ball on 28 of the Ravens' past 66 plays (42 percent).

Having Lewis -- the NFL's sixth-leading rusher -- has bailed out the league's second-worst passing attack in the Ravens' surprising 6-6 season.

"I'd shudder to think where we would be without him," offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. "Obviously, we're not tearing it up in the passing game. He's given us at least one part of our offense that we can count on."

Instead of wearing himself out, the 23-year-old running back has continually worn the top defenses down.

His yards per carry increase with each quarter, topping off at 5.1 in the final period, along with his big plays. The former first-round pick has broken 22 runs of 10 yards or more this season, with nine of them coming in the fourth quarter.

What makes the numbers staggering is that Lewis has played against six of the top 10 run defenses in the league.

What makes the numbers more staggering is the fact that Lewis has yet to fully recover.

Lewis, who ran with a noticeable limp at the team's May mini-camp, admitted that his left knee aches occasionally. He also has to drive more with his right leg because the other one still lacks the same strength.

But his punishing style of running is a combination of being tougher mentally and physically.

"I'm like a boxer. I like to hit you low and grind you," Lewis said. "Late in the last few rounds, that's when you're going down. Once you hammer those guys, they don't want no more. They're tired of seeing you come through their hole. That's when they fold. That's when the big one comes and I go up the sidelines."

While his physical abilities might have diminished this season, Lewis has improved his knowledge of the game. He better understands how the blocking schemes work and how to make the quick read when the defensive line shifts at the last second.

"He's matured a lot," Gash said.

Lewis is 320 yards shy of his Ravens' single-season record of 1,364 yards.

And the Ravens will give him plenty of opportunity to do so. There is no plan to lessen Lewis' workload in the final month of the regular season.

"It's almost the opposite," Cavanaugh said. "This is crunch time. We want the ball to be in the hands of the people we've got the most faith in and he's certainly one of them. He's our star."

Lewis expects a substantial amount of carries on Sunday, when the Ravens face the New Orleans Saints. Ranked 16th in run defense, the Saints have allowed five of their past six opponents to break 100 yards rushing.

New Orleans defensive tackles Grady Jackson and Norman Hand are two 300-pound cogs in the middle, but the linebackers have been inconsistent in their tackling and pursuit. Middle linebacker Charlie Clemons has had the biggest drop-off, and he seems to lack the instincts to be a top run stuffer.

"I don't see them being that physical," Lewis said. "They play sound football. They have two big guys in the middle who eat up a lot of grass. But I think we have some guys that will be able to push them around."

Lewis is one of a handful of NFL running backs who have reached 1,000 yards after missing the entire previous season and is a leading contender for the NFL's comeback player of the year award.

The Ravens, though, think his encore could be more astounding than his current performance.

"Jamal coming back is an amazing story," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "The conventional thinking that it's usually the second year before a player fully returns is valid. So, it's kind of scary to think what he might be able to do next year."

Jamal Lewis' late run

Ravens running back Jamal Lewis has gotten better as the game goes on. A look at his production this season by quarter (including runs 10 yards and over):

Quarter...Att. ...Yds...Avg. ...TDs...10+ runs

First...60...206...3.4...1...2

Second...58...240...4.1...1...5

Third...62...312...5.0...1...6

Fourth...56...286...5.1...2...9

Totals...236...1,044...4.4...5...22