ST. LOUIS — Denver Broncos coach John Fox put it best.

“You score seven points in this league, you’re not going to beat a whole lot of teams,” said Fox.

Stifling the Broncos’ high-powered offense as no opponent has all year, the St. Louis Rams led wire-to-wire Sunday in posting a 22-7 upset win at Edward Jones Dome.

The Rams (4-6) avoided the mistakes which had colored their season, making no turnovers and committing only three penalties. Their defense allowed 397 total yards, but just 28 on the ground, forcing Denver quarterback Peyton Manning to go it alone with a depleted roster.

Manning completed 34 of 54 attempts for 389 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders with 2:22 left in the first half. But Manning also tossed two fourth-quarter interceptions and was sacked twice by a St. Louis pass rush which gained steam as the Bronco offense became one-dimensional.

“We beat a great ball club,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “It’s hard to get Ws in this league. Each one you get, you’ve got to appreciate them.”

There was much to appreciate from all aspects for the Rams, including efficient play from quarterback Shaun Hill. Tasked with replacing Austin Davis after the second-year pro coughed up a pick-six and a fumble for Arizona scores in the fourth quarter last week, Hill hit 20 of 29 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown.

The only thing Hill could have improved on was generating touchdowns inside the Denver 20. But placekicker Greg Zuerlein took care of that issue, drilling field goals of 37, 29, 22, 55 and 53 yards.

“Hey, they don’t have me here to miss field goals,” Zuerlein smiled. “I felt like I was hitting the ball decently in warmups … it was nice to have a big day and help the team win.”

Zuerlein not only scored points, he helped the defense prevent them. He boomed six touchbacks, and between him and punter Johnny Hekker placing four of his six attempts inside the 20, the Broncos (7-3) played long fields all day.

Their best starting field position was their 25, and six of their 13 drives started inside the 20.

“Our cover guys were awesome, not just on kickoffs, but punts,” Zuerlein said. “I don’t know how many kicks I mishit, but having those guys get them down at the 10 and the 15, that was awesome.”

Hill’s touchdown pass came on the first play after St. Louis made the first of its three fourth down stops at its 37. Spotting wide receiver Kenny Britt speeding past backup cornerback Bradley Roby, Hill hit Britt in stride for a 63-yard score and a 10-0 lead with 1:10 left in the first quarter.

Britt finished with four catches for 128 yards, all in the first half. Rookie running back Tre Mason carved up the league’s top-rated run defense with a career-high 113 yards on 29 carries, becoming the first back to go over 100 yards on Denver.

What the Rams said:

“To hold this team to seven points as a defense, and to do the things we did on offense, is kind of outstanding.” — Defensive end Robert Quinn

What the Broncos said:

“We know we have a team good enough to do some really good things this year. We have to play better than we did today.” — Tight end Jacob Tamme

What we learned about the Rams:

1. Short-term, quarterback Shaun Hill gives them their best chance to win. Hill was efficient, going 20 of 29 for 220 yards. Most importantly, Hill didn’t commit a turnover, the biggest problem second-year pro Austin Davis had. Davis threw four pick-sixes and had two fumbles returned against him for scores in the first nine games. Hill’s ability to avoid mistakes was critical to this win.

2. Much as they did last year, St. Louis settled on a running back late in the season. Rookie Tre Mason became the first back to gain 100 yards on Denver’s No. 1 rated run defense, compiling 113 on 29 attempts. Mason has the kind of big-play burst that neither Benny Cunningham nor Zac Stacy possess. Mason has also improved at pass protection. This offense looks a lot better when it can run the ball the way Mason did Sunday.

–DE Eugene Sims (leg) left the game in the third quarter, but was able to return before its conclusion. Sims finished with a pair of tackles, helping the St. Louis defensive line put solid pressure on quarterback Peyton Manning in the upset win.

–WR Kenny Britt (knee) missed time in the second quarter, but returned and had a big impact on the first half. Britt caught four passes for 128 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown late in the first quarter that upped the Rams’ lead to 10-0.

–LB Alec Ogletree halted a Denver drive on the first play of the fourth quarter with an interception of Manning, his second in as many games. Ogletree finished with a team-high 13 tackles and two passes defensed.

What we learned about the Broncos:

1. They were too one-dimensional Sunday, completely ignoring the running game for long stretches. C.J. Anderson had nine carries for 29 yards, and the only other “running play” was a kneel-down by Peyton Manning to end the first half. As good as Manning is, it’s hard to win NFL games with a 54-to-10 pass-run ratio, which is what Denver had in this one. It has to balance that out a little more down the homestretch.

2. Injuries are hampering the offense as well. Already sporting a makeshift offensive line on the right side, the Broncos lost starting wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, tight end Julius Thomas and running back Montee Ball before the fourth quarter. Manning can elevate the performance of any player, but that’s too much of a test of depth for this group, or most any other group anywhere.

–RB Montee Ball (groin) played briefly, but couldn’t make a go of it and finally departed for good in the second quarter after dropping a pass. Ball didn’t carry the ball once and dropped both passes thrown to him. His status for next week isn’t known.

–TE Julius Thomas (ankle) didn’t play for most of the second half, leaving Denver without one of its top receivers. Thomas caught just two passes on three targets for just three yards, a season-low output for the NFL leader in touchdown catches with 12.

–WR Emmanuel Sanders (concussion) departed in the third quarter after taking a huge hit from St. Louis FS Rodney McLeod. Sanders, who caught five passes for 102 yards and the team’s lone touchdown, must pass baseline tests before he can play next week against Miami.