• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bradford passes Rams past Broncos

Nov 29, 2010 - 1:48 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Sam Bradford threw for a career-high 308 yards and three scores on 22-of-37 passing as St. Louis nearly wasted a 20- point lead but hung on to beat Denver, 36-33, at Invesco Field.

Billy Bajema caught a pair of TD passes, Michael Hoomanawanui hauled in one while Steven Jackson rushed for 72 yards on 29 carries for the Rams (5-6), who pulled into a tie atop the NFC West with Seattle by snapping a two-game slide.

"Any time you can get a win on the road in this league, it's big," said Bradford. "It's tough to do that, and especially for us because we've had our struggles on the road. To clear that hump and get the victory today was satisfying.

Kyle Orton was 24-of-41 for 347 yards and posted three touchdowns for the Broncos (3-8), who have dropped six of their last seven. The loss came a little more than a day after Denver head coach Josh McDaniels and the club itself were fined for an illegal videotaping incident.

Brandon Lloyd had four receptions for 76 yards and two TDs, Eddie Royal added a touchdown catch and Knowshon Moreno struck for 56 yards and a score on 12 carries in defeat.

"We have to play better defense. I have to coach better," said McDaniels. "Giving up 30-something points every week is a tough to match on offense."

Josh Brown was good from 26 yards out and the visitors claimed a 36-20 advantage with 10:50 left in regulation. Two Denver series later, Orton orchestrated a five-play, 50-yard drive and found Royal for a 16-yard score. The conversion pass to Jabar Gaffney fell incomplete, leaving Denver behind 36-26.

St. Louis then went three-and-out, and the Broncos took over on their own 41. Orton threw three incompletions on the ensuing series, but again hit Lloyd with 2:35 to play and the Broncos found themselves down only 36-33.

The Rams recovered the onside kick but failed to advance the ball, and after a punt, Orton had one last chance with 1:06 left starting at his own 34. A sack and two incompletions forced a 4th-and-16 from the 28, and a pass to Royal was incomplete.

Bradford took a knee to run out the remaining seconds.

Moreno's four-yard run capped an 80-yard Denver march to open the game, and gave the home team a 7-0 lead.

Matt Prater connected from 49 yards out on the Broncos' ensuing drive, but Hoomanawanui broke free of the pack and rolled 36 yards to the end zone for a 10-7 game on the Rams' next touch.

Prater managed to get a 40-yarder through the uprights roughly 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter, but the Rams followed with a 13-play drive lasting more than six minutes and went ahead 14-13 when Bradford hit Bajema for a two- yard strike.

Bajema hauled in a 26-yard TD pass on the next St. Louis drive and it was 20-13 after the extra point failed. A 45-yard Bradford completion to Danario Alexander helped set up the score.

Brown then booted a 28-yarder, and after Royal fumbled away the kickoff to the Rams, Brown connected from 37 yards and the visitors entered halftime up 26-13.

Kenneth Darby's one-yard plunge completed the second Rams drive of the second half and put St. Louis ahead 33-13.

The Broncos didn't respond until the first play of the fourth when Orton hit Lloyd for a 41-yard TD pass.

Game Notes

The Rams have won four of the past six games over Denver since 1994...St. Louis' 36-point effort was its most points since topping New Orleans by a 37-29 count on November 11, 2007...The Broncos racked up 449 yards of offense in defeat and allowed 431 to the Rams.