Different personnel and changes on the coaching staff have worked out so far in favor of the unbeaten New Orleans Saints. Off to their best start in franchise history, the Saints target their ninth straight win Sunday against the St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome.</p><p>Having already matched its win total from all of last season, New Orleans had to battle back last week from a 17-6 first-half deficit to win 30-20 over the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers at the Louisiana Superdome. The win lifted the Saints to 8-0 for the first time ever and snapped Carolina's seven-game winning streak in the Big Easy. A huge difference for owner/president Tom Benson has been the addition of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, whose unit has drastically improved from a season ago and is perhaps the top catalyst for the first-half success.</p><p>An architect of some of the top defenses in NFL history, Williams has been able to pass on his philosophies to veteran and younger players during his early stint with the Saints. Williams has already witnessed his unit record 24 takeaways this season, two more than all of 2008. New Orleans had three fumble recoveries last week versus Carolina and posted its seventh defensive touchdown this season. The Saints, who share an undefeated record with Indianapolis, also own 16 interceptions in 2009 after recording 15 the year before.</p><p>But as the defense earns its praise, the New Orleans offense under head coach Sean Payton has thrived to the tune of a league-best 426.9 passing yards and 37.9 points per game. Early MVP candidate Drew Brees is first in the NFL with a 106.1 passer rating, tied for first with 17 touchdown passes, third with a 68.3 completion percentage and his 292.0 passing yards a contest are good enough for fourth among his peers. Brees and the Saints, however, have turned the ball over 10 times in the last three games and can not afford to put themselves in a hole against a hungry St. Louis team. Brees has been picked off in three straight games for a total of five interceptions, and must take care of the ball to keep the Saints on the right path.</p><p>Rams running back Steven Jackson finally found the end zone before the bye week to help his team break into the win column for the first time in 2009. Jackson ran for a season-high 149 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in a 17-10 victory at Detroit on November 1. The win was also monumental for Rams first-year head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who hopes to give the team back-to-back victories for the first time since mid-October last season.</p><p>In order to top last year's pitiful 2-14 finish, beleaguered St. Louis has to do something it has been struggling to do all season, and that's play defense. Known for his defensive prowess, Spagnuolo's decrepit stop unit has been under the tutelage and microscope of Ken Flajole. Flajole's defense played well before the bye week, but the Lions aren't exactly the best measuring stick for success. For a team that's 6-34 over the previous three seasons, it's no wonder the Rams are last in the NFL in scoring, 29th in points allowed, last in third-down defense and near the bottom in yards given up (373.4).</p><p>Surrendering nearly 400 yards a game, including 238.6 yards through the air, does not bode well for St. Louis' chances of a major upset Sunday. Stranger things have happened at this level, unfortunately there will be no David vs. Goliath results in this semi-tantalizing matchup between NFC inhabitants. That's what the Rams should expect with deficiencies on the defensive line and secondary. The same holds true for many spots on offense, including quarterback Marc Bulger, who has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes this season (4 INT, 3 TD). St. Louis will play its next three games at home after playing five of its first eight as the guest. It has dropped eight in a row as the host and hasn't won at Edward Jones Dome since a 34-14 win over Dallas on October 19 last year.