NFL Week 9 Picks: San Francisco 49ers, First-Place Teams That Will Keep Rolling

The 2011 NFL season is roughly halfway done. Some teams have played eight games, the rest will play their eighth game this weekend. 

So, while there is a lot of football that will still be played, we're now getting a sense of which teams are for real and which ones are going to fade away for the rest of the season. 

We're not looking that far ahead right now. Of the eight teams in first place, I have these four cruising to victory this week. I'm not necessarily predicting the others will lose, but I don't see them rolling over their opponents.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are the clear top team in the NFL and will hold that distinction until a team proves it can beat them. 

Frankly, I don't see the Chargers being that team. I know the Chargers have great playmakers and are at home. Their playmaking ability will show at times on Sunday, but it won't be enough to beat the Packers attack. 

By the time this one is over, the Packers will be 8-0 and the talks of a perfect season will only get louder.

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans lacks consistency. If the Saints don't find that consistency, they won't make any noise in the playoffs. 

However, I see the good part of their inconsistency showing this week. The Saints will not overlook the Buccaneers this Sunday. Tampa Bay has already beaten New Orleans and the Saints are coming off an embarrassing loss. On top of that, the Superdome has become one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers

Frankly, I have no confidence the Redskins offense will do anything against the 49ers. Every now and again, the 49ers do allow big plays, but the Redskins will simply not put forth a consistent enough effort to beat the 49ers.

Now, I don't necessarily think this game will be particularly aesthetically pleasing. The 49ers certainly play an ugly style at times.

However, ugly will not translate into a loss. As a matter of fact, ugly will work for San Francisco quite well.

Kansas City Chiefs

Three teams sit at 4-3 in the AFC West, but the Chiefs have the tiebreaker over the Chargers and Raiders. As hard as it is to believe that after Kansas City's 0-3 start, its luck will continue this week. 

Why am I so confident? 

Well, the Chiefs are playing the Miami Dolphins. Until the Dolphins win a game, they can't be predicted to beat anyone—certainly not a team on a four-game winning streak.

Scores: 

Packers 44, Chargers 27

Saints 34, Buccaneers 24

49ers 27, Redskins 13

Chiefs 24, Dolphins 13

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