4:20 P.M. MST: Mike Bell’s tough third-down run has the Broncos just one yard from their third touchdown of the day.

4:22 P.M. MST: Success, as Mike Bell makes his hometown return a success with his sixth touchdown of the season. Jason Elam gets his 12th point of the day — he’s now at 97 for the season — and the Broncos have their first three-score lead since the third quarter of the home loss to the Chargers.

4:27 P.M. MST: At this point, the Broncos appear to be trying to keep the Cardinals in front of them, maybe get some yards, but not gobble up large chunks at once. The Cardinals’ two biggest plays on this possession so far have come on Matt Leinart scrambles of eight and 14 yards.

4:36 P.M. MST: Champ Bailey has lined up opposite Larry Fitzgerald for most of the afternoon, but with fourth-and-six, the Cardinals moved Fitzgeraled around into a matchup against Karl Paymah, and he snagged a 19-yard pass to keep an Arizona drive alive.

4:38 P.M. MST: Bailey and Curome Cox saved a touchdown with an open-field tackle on Anquan Boldin, but Edgerrin James scores two plays later to narrow the Broncos’ lead to 10 points with 7:46 remaining.

4:46 P.M. MST: At least the Broncos managed to recover Chike Okeafor’s second forced fumble of the day when George Foster pounced upon a loose football … and then Antonio Smith nullifies what would have been a stop for his team when he gets flagged for an unnecessary-roughness infraction after the play. At the least, the penalty costs the Cardinals about a minute and a half of possession time.

4:52 P.M. MST: I think it might be impossible for a player to be held more blatantly than Javon Walker was in the end zone.

4:53 P.M. MST: Mike Bell runs for a 1-yard touchdown, and the lead is three scores with under three minutes left.

3:40 P.M. MST: Back for the second half, but the Broncos offense is unable to begin the second half in the manner in which it opened the first, going three-and-out and losing four yards in the process — and, in fact, has a distastrous opening after Brandon Marshall intercepts Jay Cutler’s third-and-14 pass.

3:41 P.M. MST: Denver’s advantages at halftime were staggering on the stat sheet:

• Total yardage: Broncos 240, Cardinals 60
• First downs: Broncos 14, Cardinals 4
• Rushing yardage: Broncos 60, Cardinals 40
• Passing yardage: Broncos 180, Cardinals 20

And yet the Cardinals are at the Denver 20, threatening to score a touchdown that would give them a 1-point lead.

3:46 P.M. MST: Threat nullified. J.J. Arrington swarmed down on third-and-2. A Neil Rackers field goal nullified by a holding penalty on fourth down. A rekick sails wide right. Denver not only emerges from Cutler’s errant throw unscathed — but gains 27 yards in the process, moving to the Denver 40.

3:49 P.M. MST: The Broncos opened this drive with Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler, Brandon Marshall and David Kircus on the field. As George Allen was wont to say, “The future is now.”

3:51 P.M. MST: Forty-four of the 50 yards amassed so far on this drive are attributable to rookie pass-catchers Marshall and Scheffler, two players who seem to be growing up rapidly today.

3:54 P.M. MST: It was almost as though Rod Smith watched what his younger teammates did and wanted to demonstrate that he could do it, as well. Cutler’s sixth career touchdown is his first to Rod Smith, who used a stutter-step to get open in the back left corner of the end zone. Denver’s lead is back to 13 points.

4:12 P.M. MST: Arizona’s second sustained drive of the game has seen the Cardinals run seven consecutive pass plays — six completions and a sack — before turning to the run at the Denver 21. On the next play, Leinart was sacked by John Engelberger, Larry Coyer’s “wild horse rider” who stripped the southpaw of the football, although he managed to recover. The sequence would, however, force Arizona to settle for Neil Rackers’ 38-yard field goal.

4:14 P.M. MST: After the Thanksgiving loss to the Chiefs, Nate Jackson lamented about how any good return seemed to be nullified by a flag. Finally that isn’t the case as Quincy Morgan sprinted 64 yards with the Broncos’ longest kickoff return since Adrian Madise’s 83-yarder on Dec. 28, 2003 at Green Bay.

2:43 P.M. MST: Jack Nasty — a.k.a. Nate Jackson — got, well, jacked up by Robert Griffith, but hung onto the ball between the hashmarks. Tatum Bell goes backwards one yard on the next play, though, setting up Jason Elam’s second field goal of the day.

2:44 P.M. MST: Elam now eight points from a 14th straight 100-point season. Such campaigns may seem routine after all this time, but considering how he sets a new NFL standard every time he hits the century mark, they’re always worth commemorating.

2:48 P.M. MST: As key as Kenard Lang’s deflection of a second-and-2 pass was the fact that John Lynch and Domonique Foxworth hit Anquan Boldin as the football arrived in the wideout’s grasp, forcing an incompletion; the Cardinals, however, convert the third down on the next play and then move the drive to the Denver 35 after a 13-yard Edgerrin James run one play later.

2:53 P.M. MST: Neil Rackers drills a 49-yard field goal, and the Broncos’ shutout is done.

2:59 P.M. MST: Dennis Green channels his inner Rick Barry (or Jennie Finch) and underhand-heaves his red replay-challenge flag 15 yards onto the field to contest a Rod Smith reception.

3:02 P.M. MST: The challenge nullifies the completion, and seconds later … disaster. Cutler secures the handoff to Tatum Bell, who promptly loses it when Chike Okeafor hits him in the backfield. Loose ball … touchdown … and the Broncos’ once-bulbous 13-point lead is now down to three.

3:08 P.M. MST: Javon Walker comes back in for the Broncos’ next possession, and makes a crucial third-down catch, getting one extra yard after Orlando Huff hits him — a yard that keeps this drive alive as the Broncos look to regain some control over this game.

3:10 P.M. MST: Like the erstwhile baseball player he is, Tony Scheffler holds up the football as though he were an outfielder gesturing with his glove following a diving reception. The 16-yard reception is his second of the game; Cutler has already spread the football around to six different pass-catchers.

3:16 P.M. MST: Denver is four-of-seven on third-down attempts, but all three third-down failures have come inside the Arizona 12. Jason Elam is now three-for-three on field goals.

3:21 P.M. MST: Three three-and-outs for the defense this half. Denver has outgained Arizona 211 yards to 60; the Broncos’ dominance so far is evident everywhere but on the scoreboard.

First-quarter notes from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. as the Broncos face the Arizona Cardinals while seeking to snap a four-game skid …

2:03 P.M. MST: Denver calls tails for the game-opening coin toss, but it comes up heads, and Arizona will receive the football to start the game.

2:07 P.M. MST: Denver opens in its base defense as the Cardinals begin the contest in a two wide-receiver set. They go three-wide on the next play, and Karl Paymah enters, lining up opposite Bryant Johnson. On third-and-six, Troy Walters gets the call as the No. 4 receiver, and Ian Gold swats away Matt Leinart’s pass across the middle.

2:08 P.M. MST: With Darrent Williams injured, David Kircus assumes punt-return duties, and uses a quick burst to open the game with a 16-yard return.

2:10 P.M. MST: Base starting offense for the Broncos; Kyle Johnson at fullback and Stephen Alexander at tight end, with every other position going as expected. Tatum Bell gets the call on the game’s first two plays and gains 11 yards on a pair of carries for the opening first down of the afternoon.

2:11 P.M. MST: That was fast. Three minutes in and the Broncos are in front, with Jay Cutler becoming the latest Broncos quarterback to execute the playfake/rollout/deep throw up the middle. Fifty-four yards to Javon Walker, who’d beaten Robert Griffith and David Macklin.

2:15 P.M. MST: “Champ Bailey is the best cornerback in the National Football League.” – Phil Simms No disagreement here.

2:20 P.M. MST: Broncos up 10-0 after the drive stalls. The crowd seems a little sedate, although it could just be because this press box is like the purportedly soundproof booth from “Twenty-One,” and they haven’t given us headphones to connect with the outside world.

2:24 P.M. MST: Ebenezer Ekuban just split a pair of Cardinals to snag the Broncos’ first sack of the game, dropping the Cardinals back to second-and-20 at their 20. A promising first act for the Broncos defense — a sack, a takeaway and two three-and-outs.

2:32 P.M. MST: Great decision by Cutler to bypass the throw and scramble forward, turning a third-and-long into a third-and-2 thanks to a sprint up the middle. Hometown hero Mike Bell takes it from there for four yards and a first down.

2:34 P.M. MST: Rod Smith doing his usual job, blocking Antrel Rolle to spring Walker free for a first down that moves Denver to the Arizona 40. Smith gets the call on the next play for a 5-yard reception.

2:37 P.M. MST: No temerity about getting everyone involved. With first-and-10 from the 24, neither Tatum Bell, Javon Walker nor Rod Smith were on the field; the assignments went to Mike Bell, Brandon Marshall and David Kircus.

2:37 P.M. MST: Nice little jersey tug by Antrel Rolle on Marshall on second-and-5. “Good no-call,” Simms says. Eh … in the words of Ron Burgundy, “Agree to disagree.”

Some news worth noting as the Broncos and Cardinals warm up:

• Darrent Williams will be sidelined as one of the Broncos’ eight inactive players. Domonique Foxworth will switch over to right cornerback, while Curome Cox moves back to strong safety.
• Brian Clark is inactive, while Quincy Morgan is back in the lineup for the first time in two months to handle kickoff returns.
• Denver’s other inactives: Running backs Damien Nash and Cedric Cobbs, linebacker Nate Webster, offensive tackle Adam Meadows and defensive linemen Kenny Peterson and Antwon Burton.
• Running back Marcel Shipp is out for Arizona.
• I’m not going to go as far as to say that Broncos fans outnumber Cardinals fans, but the orange and blue is well-represented in the grandstands here, with many fans convening in the north end zone to watch the team get ready from an up-close perspective. There’s more orange here than there will be in three weeks when this building is overrun by Ohio State fans for the national-championship game against Florida. (But the other orange-and-blue Broncos fans from Boise will probably have the joint bathing in their colors when they’re here for the Fiesta Bowl.
• And as you can see in the juxtaposed picture, the roof is open.)

I’m grateful just to be here amidst the cotton fields and desert terrain of Glendale, Ariz. this morning because I became convinced we’d be waylaid by some distracted motorists along “I-one-oh” who were trying to put the hammer down while looking to their left at the Broncos buses lurching past.

Some guy in a Ravens jersey bobs and weaves back and forth two lanes over, looking at our bus more often than he glances at the road in front of him. Then he veers one lane over to the right without using a turn signal. Nice of you to consider the safety of those around you.

Several more cars pass by and can’t seem to avoid crossing over into other lanes as they glance at the buses. I don’t make eye contact; we’re behind tinted glass, and I want merely to observe their driving habits, not to distract them with a stare as cold as a winter night in the desert. These people have enough trouble navigating the road as it is.

A family slows down to give a child in the back seat a chance for him to demonstrate his jersey-popping skills, showing off his No. 24 shirt. The driver keeps his hands on the wheel, though, and proceeds onward.

Moments later, we pull off the highway and into the University of Phoenix Stadium’s parking lot. Unlike Oakland or San Diego, there are no hand or finger salutes. No one to say “You’re No. 1″ — whether it be in the straightforward manner of the index finger or the ironic salute from one digit over. No Roman-emperor thumbs-up or thumbs-down pronouncements. Merely indifference, aside from the three Broncos fans standing by the entrance to the Sportsman’s Park complex, who wave at the two team buses that steam past at just after 10:30 a.m.

And now we are two and a half hours from kickoff. Former Broncos head coach Dan Reeves, in town to analyze the game for Westwood One’s radio broadcast, downs his victuals as he prepares to disseminate his former team. The roof is open, and the stadium is gradually coming to life with the gates opening and a smattering of onlookers casually wandering into the stands, many of them heading for the front row and a chance to break out the digital cameras and snare some snapshots of their favorite players. Only two Broncos are in full uniform right now — kicker Jason Elam and punter Paul Ernster, the latter of whom is back in his home area for the second game this year after visiting in the preseason.

Eventually, there’ll be a game to discuss. For now, there are just random details from a morning spent in waiting … waiting on a game upon which the Broncos’ entire season rides.

Denver’s fourth touchdown drive of the evening belonged to Tatum Bell, who gained 36 yards on four carries to put the Broncos back in front for the first time midway through the second quarter.

Of significance on the drive:

… Denver ran four plays — all runs. Twelve of their last 14 plays have come on the ground.

… The defense has found its footing, forcing back-to-back punts from Arizona after going puntless for the first two and a half quarters.

… The Broncos went for two for the third time tonight, but this try failed as Bradlee Van Pelt was pressured and had his pass for Brandon Miree swatted away.

I’ll be heading downstairs for post-game interviews shortly. Since we return to Denver immediately after the game along with the team, I’ll be back on-line after we return overnight to provide a post-game wrap.

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The deep balls referenced in my previous post may have been a recurrent theme of the game, but the run was the storyline of the Broncos’ second drive after halftime — which is why it was appropriate that Cedric Cobbs tied the game with his run on a two-point conversion that followed the Fort Collins touchdown connection (Bradlee Van Pelt to Cecil Sapp).

Following the deep incompletion to David Terrell, the Broncos ran on their next six plays — seven, if you count an 8-yard Cobbs run that was nullified by holding. Van Pelt scrambled his way to 16 yards on two carries, while Cobbs slugged for 18 yards on four carries.

If there’s a theme tonight, it’s Broncos receivers getting their chances at big plays on deep receptions. David Kircus cashed in on one and lost another when Lamont Reid swatted it away. Todd Devoe had a deep reception up the left sideline skip out of his hands.

But David Terrell might have had it worst. Bradlee Van Pelt rolled right — just as he had earlier — and sailed his second pass of the night deep up the middle of the field for David Terrell, who was behind the entire Arizona defense.

The pass was on target — but so too was Arizona safety Jack Brewer. I almost typed Bauer there. Appropriate; just like the hero of 24, Brewer saved the day for his team, zooming out of what seemed like nowhere to break up the pass — a play that mirrored Sam Brandon’s deflection of what would have been a Kurt Warner-to-Bryant Johnson touchdown midway through the first quarter.

Worth noting — Matt Leinart is out for the rest of the game with a sprained right shoulder.  John Navarre is next on Arizona’s depth chart.