The Denver Broncos looked backed against a wall, stuck at third and 17 with the pass rush bearing in on Kyle Orton, but the line held and Orton found Eddie Royal on the left side for 24 yards, starting a run of 57 yards in three plays for an Orton-to-Royal touchdown. The St. Louis Rams defense looked unprepared for that kind of run.

The Broncos missed the ensuing two-point conversion, leaving them down 10 points. Orton is 20-for-31 with 285 yards and two touchdowns, in the process of having an outstanding fourth quarter.

The Rams’ kicking has left four potentially crucial points on the board. Josh Brown missed a point-after in the second quarter, and couldn’t convert a 45 yard field goal attempt in the third.

But their main problem in the fourth quarter has been an inability to run clock with their running backs. Steven Jackson has been only intermittently effective, and the Broncos have the ball back down 36-26 with almost five minutes left in the fourth quarter.