No Offense, but . . .

It doesn’t sound right.

Trent Dilfer, the reason for the resurgence of the Baltimore Raven offense?

Trent Dilfer, the same quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dumped for Shaun King?

Trent Dilfer?

The Ravens have gone from a team that couldn’t score a touchdown in October to a team still playing in January, turning the corner about the same time Dilfer took over for Tony Banks at quarterback.

But look a little closer: It also happened about the time rookie running back Jamal Lewis emerged as a relentless runner who carries the ball 25 or 30 times a game and is almost automatic for 100 yards.

“I mean, we just found our identity,” Dilfer said. “And our identity is to be physical, run the football well and make plays in the passing game.”

Never mind that in the final game of the regular season, the Ravens were held to 142 yards and needed scoring help from the defense and special teams to beat the New York Jets.

Never mind that Dilfer threw only 14 passes into the swirling wind during the Ravens’ 21-3 AFC wild-card victory over Denver.

And never mind that his only touchdown pass in that game was a fluke--a short pass to Lewis in the flat that bounced off Lewis, off a defensive back and into the arms of tight end Shannon Sharpe, who took off for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Just note that the Ravens are one of eight teams still playing.

They’re headed to Nashville for a divisional playoff game Sunday at Adelphia Coliseum, where they are the only team ever to beat the Tennessee Titans.

Their success is mostly because of their record-setting defense, but somehow the Raven offense is keeping its head just above water.

“People look at stats too much, but we’re No. 2 in time of possession [Tennessee is No. 1], and we’re in the top five in rushing,” said Dilfer, 8-1 since taking over the starting job.

“I think what they’ve seen in me is somebody that can win football games. Am I pretty doing it? No, I’ve never been one of the prettier guys in the league.”

Lewis isn’t the prettiest runner either. But he is a 5-foot-11, 230-pound plow horse whose legs never quit churning.

“I won’t minimize what Trent’s doing,” Sharpe said. “I won’t do that. But I said before, the guys around Trent had to play better. And for whatever reason, Jamal took his level of play up. The offensive line did a great job, and myself and Qadry [Ismail] stepped up and made plays.”

Lewis was the fifth pick overall in last year’s draft, but he came with a question mark--his history of injuries.

He ran for 1,367 yards his freshman season at Tennessee, only to sit out most of his sophomore season because of a knee injury, then was limited to nine starts because of other injuries in his junior season, after which he turned pro.

When he got to Baltimore, Lewis dislocated an elbow in training camp. Although he was ready to play when the season started, he didn’t get more than nine carries in a game until a breakout 116-yard performance against Cincinnati in the fourth game of the season.

Even after that, he didn’t have another 100-yard game until the 10th game, a week after Dilfer took over for Banks and about the same time Coach Brian Billick started making sure Lewis got 20 carries a game.

Lewis calls the elbow injury a blessing in disguise.

“It has paid off at this time of the season,” he said. “I’m still fresh, my legs are still good. I’m ready to go.”

He’ll be heading back to familiar territory in Tennessee, though he played in Knoxville, not Nashville.

“I didn’t really watch much football to tell you the truth,” he said. “They’re a great team, and I was a fan of Eddie George.”

He’s the closest thing to an answer the Ravens have.

“I think Jamal has come into his own and those guys really started to believe in him,” Raven safety Rod Woodson said.

“Feed him that ball, get him that ball 25, 30 times a game. I mean, he’s a workhorse. And if he comes out on third down and we put Priest Holmes in there, that’s a good 1-2 punch. Everybody talks about that thunder and lightning [Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne] in New York. Man, we’ve got some thunder and lightning too. Those guys can do some damage.

“We started believing and the coaches started believing in running the football. Once that happened, that opened a lot of things. Once you can run the ball, you can play-action pass, you can do a lot of things.”

In other words, once you have some bread, you can look for some butter.

“To have a big back that can take that kind of punishment, hit it up in there, always get you two, three yards and always ready to take a hit, that’s what you need,” Sharpe said.

The other thing they needed was a quarterback in whom they had confidence. Even if Dilfer’s 76.6 passer rating doesn’t blow away Banks’ 69.3 rating, he is a veteran.

Banks’ problems were poor red-zone production and trouble with turnovers, particularly fumbles.

Dilfer gives them experience and leadership, and though people forget, he did make the Pro Bowl after the 1997 season in Tampa.

He has been through the fires of criticism too, as the much-maligned starter in Tampa last season until a broken collarbone ended his season, opening the door for King’s run to the NFC title game.

Dilfer was released in February, then signed with the Ravens as Banks’ backup. Maybe he saw the opportunity that was waiting.

He’s not inclined to let it go now. He even returned to play against the Broncos despite a mild concussion that left him gripping a microphone stand for balance after the game.

“He’s a tough, gritty guy,” Woodson said. “I didn’t know Trent a whole bunch, but once I met him and saw the fire and passion he played with, it brought some toughness to our offense--some of that toughness that was missing.

“Same thing with Shannon. It brought some toughness to our offense. You need that on both sides of the football if you want to get where we want to go.”

THE PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY

* New Orleans at Minnesota, 9:30 a.m.,

Channel 11

* Miami at Oakland,

1 p.m., Channel 2

SUNDAY

* Baltimore at Tennessee, 9:30 a.m., Channel 2

* Philadelphia at New York Giants, 1:15 p.m.,

Channel 11

COVERAGE

MIKE PENNER: With the bowl games still fresh and the NFL down to an elite eight, the old argument arises: Which game is better, college or pro? D6

CAPSULES: In defensive musical chairs for the four games this weekend, the Vikings are left standing. D6

NOTES: The Chiefs want to hire Dick Vermeil as their coach, but the Rams are trying to block the deal. It might end up in Paul Tagliabue’s office. D6