Editor's note: The Rams defeated the New York Giants 15-14 on Sunday to remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL.

After watching the St. Louis Rams last week on Monday Night Football, I had the first inkling of "the question." They showed their usual offensive brilliance. And their defense pitched a shutout on the road. They are the only unbeaten team in the NFL. So to the question: Can the Rams go undefeated?

	Rams QB Kurt Warner has thrown 15 interceptions this season (and 18 TDs).

A quick look at the schedule only deepens the possibility. They are all winnable games. No offense to the New Yorkers, but St. Louis -- after its utter manhandling (42-10) of the Super Bowl-contending Miami Dolphins -- should be able to handle both the Giants (at home this week) and the Jets (on the road next week).

That would make them 6-0 as they come home to face the New Orleans Saints. This game is a real test, as the division-rival Saints are a balanced, tough, playoff-tested team with one of the best defensive lines in the league. The next week is a bye (perfectly placed, by the way). So if the Rams are sitting at 7-0 during their week of rest, an undefeated season will be tantalizingly reachable.

The rest of the Rams' tough games (Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Indianapolis) are at home. The road games are New England, Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans. They also play Carolina and Atlanta at home. Barring injury, the Rams can win all of these games. They could be 12-0 when they visit the Saints for the rematch on Dec. 17. That's the game to watch, provided they beat them on Oct. 28 and have won the others. After that game, they have the Panthers, Colts and Falcons. Two games over clearly inferior teams -- and the Colts are, at this point, only half a great team.

But the only reason I'm discussing this scenario is that the Rams are so impressive right now. Of course, it starts on offense. We learned that last year when quarterback Kurt Warner went down. The defense was a bit exposed when it wasn't playing with 20-point leads in the third quarter. And Trent Green isn't around anymore to step in for Warner, whose health is even more important. Backup quarterback Jamie Martin, while capable, would not be able to exploit that offense to its fullest.

In much-studied moves, the Rams revamped their defense in the offseason, partly through draft picks acquired in the trade of Green to the Chiefs. So far so good. That unit is much improved, as the shutout of the Lions proved. This season the Rams have two wins they probably wouldn't have had last year. They beat the Eagles and 49ers, both on the road, in close games in which the defense bent but didn't break.

As new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith continues to coach and teach his variation on the famed Cover 2 defense, the Rams defense will come together and get better. The signs are already there that the right players and coaches were brought in. The offense doesn't have to do it alone in St. Louis this year.

Not that they couldn't. Warner, running back Marshall Faulk and wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce are elite players. But Warner has to stay healthy. He seems to be more selective this year, as his interceptions are way down. He is also showing a remarkable toughness as he stays in the pocket that extra beat so that his receivers can finish their patterns and he can deliver the ball on time. This, of course, results in Warner taking some tough hits, but it also earns him the admiration of his teammates, who will just play harder for him.

While there is a reason they play the games, right now I don't see a better team in the NFC. Do you?

As key as Warner is, the Rams offense starts with Faulk. If a defense can neutralize him, it's on the way to beating the Rams. It's a lot easier said than done, as the versatile and talented Faulk plays all over the field, catching and running his way to plentiful yards and touchdowns on seemingly every series. Warner and Faulk have each won MVP awards, so there is no in-fighting about getting credit. These guys are pros.

You can't ignore either guy, which of course helps both guys. It also helps that Faulk knows the offense like a quarterback. He knows what Warner is trying to do and digs in to do his part. It's pretty special.

Another reason to think about 16-0 is that it is reasonable to expect that both the Rams' defense and offense will get better. The defense is still jelling, still figuring things out. And the offense simply improves each time they play together and Mike Martz digs a little deeper into his endless playbook. The Rams are like the perfect storm. All the meaningful, measurable factors are building and coming together to create a very powerful force.

So, while I may be a bit early in bringing this up and there is a reason they play the games, right now I don't see a better team in the NFC. Do you? And I really don't see a better team on their schedule. Do you? You saw what they did to the Dolphins.

So mark down that Saints game on Oct. 28. If the Rams win it, we could be in for something special. And if they don't, 15-1 or 14-2 is nothing to sneer at.