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Picked by many to win the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers opened their season by laying a big, rotten egg in Seattle when they got whipped 31-6.

The Associated Press
San Francisco coach Mike Singletary had some choice words for his team after last week's performance.
So does that make the 49ers more dangerous than ever?

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton suggested Thursday it does.
"Certainly when you're playing a team that's coming off a tough loss, you know that they'll be ready, especially when they're opening up at home on a Monday night in a prime-time game," he said. "We have a ton of respect for the team that we're getting ready to play, and certainly going on the road on a Monday night, we understand the challenges with that."
Payton's words carried the complimentary tone smart teams adopt toward all opponents. However, the Saints, when they travel to the West Coast this weekend, will be lucky - and perhaps unlikely - to encounter the same 49ers that traveled up the West Coast last weekend.
San Francisco Coach Mike Singletary wants the Saints playing against a very different team, and he tried to ensure that would be the case by holding one team meeting in Seattle right after the Seahawks routed them, and another when the team plane landed in the Bay City.
Whether that move pays dividends remains to be seen. Singletary said he "doesn't know about all that," when asked if he tried to sting the 49ers' pride. His goal was getting some clarity between himself and the players.

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