After a strong opening three quarters was followed by a shaky start to the fourth, the Denver Broncos’ beaten-up defense was going to be judged by Carolina’s final drive Sunday.

“I just tried to encourage the guys. It’s about all 11 of us communicating and executing,” safety Kareem Jackson said after Denver’s 32-27 win. “Just telling the guys, ‘We get a stop here, we’re going to win the game.’ Just encouraging the guys to give it all they had on that last drive.”

Coach Vic Fangio’s defense limited Carolina to a short Mike Davis touchdown run and a Joey Slye field goal over the first three quarters, helping the Broncos to a 25-10 lead to start the fourth quarter.

The Panthers opened the fourth quarter with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Teddy Bridgewater’s 7-yard scoring run and followed that with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that made it 25-20 after Slye’s second field goal of the day. The Broncos extended the lead back to 12 thanks to KJ Hamler’s second touchdown catch of the day, but the Panthers got the score right back by going 75 yards in just 28 seconds. Bridgewater hit Davis for 20 yards, got 13 more on a defensive pass interference call and got to 10 with a strike to Pharoh Cooper. Davis took it in for his second touchdown of the day on the fourth play of the drive, making it a five-point game again.

“It was a good game all the way through until we hit that stretch there where we couldn’t slow them down in the passing game in particular,” Fangio said.

The Panthers would get the ball back on their 27 after forcing a Broncos punt with three minutes to play.

Dre’Mont Jones broke through for Denver’s fourth sack on the first play of Carolina’s final drive before De’Vante Bausby and Josey Jewell helped force three straight incompletions to get the ball back to the offense with 1:50 to play and a 32-27 lead over a Carolina team unable to stop the clock.

“Early in the game and up to that point, we were dominant. To relax like that and they go right down the field, it’s definitely something that we didn’t want to happen,” Jackson said. “That’s what happens when you get a little lax and lackadaisical and not doing what you’re supposed to do execution wise. To pick it back up on that last drive just shows that if we do things right and all 11 of us communicate and we’re all on the same page, we can go out there and execute and play the way we played earlier in the game.”

In total Denver allowed 370 yards to Carolina’s offense. Though 245 of those yards came through the air, the Panthers rushed for all three of their touchdowns. Playing without cornerback Bryce Callahan, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week, and Duke Dawson Jr., who was carted off early, the Broncos’ pass defense relied on some reserves to finish off the win.

“We hit a stretch there where we were struggling obviously and they were kind of throwing it at will, but we found a way to get them stopped with a four and out there at the end of the game, which is critical, hard to do,” Fangio said. “But that’s kind of the team we have. We’re a resilient group. We’ll keep fighting even when it’s not looking good. I’m proud of the guys.”