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, a Hall of Fame quarterback in waiting, finally had a superior 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 past eight opponents by a combined 132 points.

They ultimately found a superior adversary 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 victory. The Rams improved to 8-3, which ties the Saints and the Carolina Panthers for the third-best record in the NFC. It was their best win of the season, considering where we are and who it came against -- and it took a little bit from everybody.

Jared Goff called it "a big win, and one that we're definitely going to hang our hat on."

"It was just a big challenge for our team, to show that we are something to be reckoned with," Rams outside linebacker Robert Quinn said. "We have a lot to prove still, but it's great to have this one under our belt."

Goff left some throws on the field, but he limited his mistakes on a day when Sean McVay called a lot of passing plays in hopes of exploiting a Saints secondary without its two starting cornerbacks. The Rams' 23-year-old quarterback threw for 354 yards, one shy of his career high, and tossed his first interception in five weeks only because Sammy Watkins tipped an errant pass to P.J. Williams.

Afterward, McVay said, "You guys are starting to see Jared continue to mature week in and week out."

Todd Gurley didn't receive many touches, but he took full advantage of the ones he got, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 13.5 yards per catch. The Rams didn't have Robert Woods, but Cooper Kupp made eight catches for 116 yards and Watkins added four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Josh Reynolds scored his first career touchdown and Tyler Higbee found himself free for a 38-yard gain, helping to set up one of four field goals by Greg Zuerlein, the NFL's scoring leader by a wide margin.

"Throughout this entire season, it’s been a testament to the guys we have on this team that we don’t rely on just one person to make the plays for us," said Kupp, speaking seven days after a key fumble and a key drop in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. "Week in and week out, you see different guys step up, and you have to just always expect that the ball’s going to be coming your way because there’s so many guys who can make plays."

No group made more plays than a Rams pass rush led by Aaron Donald, who recorded his sixth sack of the season and added two tackles for loss. Brees absorbed a season-high three sacks, two of which came in the opening drive, and was hurried constantly.

"A lot of guys were just flying around, making plays," Donald said. "It was a big key for us to get some pressure on him, and that’s what we did."

The Rams' defense has had its struggles against the run for most of the season and allowed Alvin Kamara to break free for a 74-yard touchdown early in the game. But they gave up only 272 yards and 3.1 yards per carry the rest of the way, against an offense that came in averaging more than 30 points per game.

"We found a way to get it done," Rams inside linebacker Alec Ogletree said, "and that's all you can ask for."

Needing a sustained possession late, the Rams put together a 13-play, five-and-a-half minute drive that ended in a field goal, giving them a 26-13 lead with 2:27 left. The Saints answered quickly, scoring their second touchdown in a matter of 42 seconds. But Watkins caught the ensuing onside kick, putting the Rams in victory formation against a Saints team that had used up its timeouts.

It guaranteed the Rams their first non-losing season since 2006, with five games still remaining. And it marked the first time the Rams had snapped an opponent's winning streak of eight or more games since they beat a 1990 San Francisco 49ers team that entered winning 10 in a row -- and had McVay's grandfather, John, running the front office.

"It's just part of the process," the younger McVay said, doing his best to downplay the win's significance. "It's a step in the right direction for our season, but certainly there is a lot of football to be played."