LOS ANGELES -- For nine weeks, the New Orleans Saints loomed over the NFL like gods. They won all eight of their games and at times looked as if they couldn't possibly be beat. Drew Brees finally had a stout running game and a dominant defense to support him, and when his Saints arrived at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, they had outscored their last eight opponents by a combined 132 points.
They finally found a superior opponent in the Los Angeles Rams.
Backed by a relentless pass rush, an elite kicker, a dynamic running back and -- that's right -- a reliable quarterback, the Rams rebounded from a disheartening loss in Minneapolis seven days earlier and held on for a 26-20 win.