Pete's Picks....week FIVE!!!!!!

Week 5, just two days away!
The weeks just seem to be slipping away, and so does my sanity....do I start Gore over Maroney? Is Westbrook going to actually play this week, or is he just in the NFL to make me cry? Are Fitgerald and Boldin going to stink now that the rookie has taken over? These are the questions that keep me up at night(day).
Anyway, here are my picks for week 5:

Bills @ Bears
Hmmm. Where to start...let's start with Losman...he stinks! He has shown flashes of upper-mediocrity, but I don't think he has what it takes to get something done against the stingy Bears D...remember Hasselbeck? Besides, I want the Bears undefeated when I get to see them next Monday night! Bears romp!
CHI

Browns @ Panthers
Has Charlie Frye been getting it done? Sort of. Is Reuben Droughns still a waste of space where a running back should be? Yes. The Browns passing game isn't terrible, but what else do they have??? Phil Dawson? The Panthers have two healthy RBs who could start for probably half of the other teams in the leauge....add to that the fact that Smith is off the injury report, and the Panthers are back in action!
CAR

Lions @ Vikings
I don't like John Kitna....just don't like him. Sure he's a partially decent QB, but he's too pale. For that reason alone the Lions lose. I'm thinking the Lions and the Raiders will have to play a tie-breaker at the end of an 0-16 season to see who gets the #1 pick in the draft....not that it will matter because the Lions will take a WR who would have slipped to #23. Again, Chester Taylor will rebound and have a big game...and Brad Johnson will look like Brett Favre...that's what the Lions do for QBs.
MIN

Dolphins @ Patriots
Some people said the change of scenery would do Culpepper a world of good. After seeing his performance over the past 4 weeks I decided to do a little experiment of my own. I went to my back yard and found one of Badger's (my pet dauchshund) dog-logs...(if you don't know what a dog-log is let me know and I will find a picture for you)...I took said dog-log and decided to give it a change of scenery. I took the dog-log to the beach....still a dog-log. I took the dog-log to the mall...still a dog-log. This helped my come to a scientific conclusion...it doesn't matter where you put a dog-log...it will still be a dog-log.
NE

Rams @ Packers
What happens when two NFL teams play and forget to bring their defenses? You will see on Sunday. These two teams will score a combined 60 EASY! Mark it down. I think both QBs get 3 and both RBs get 1...add in about 10 FGs and you have yourself an old fashioned shoot-out! Whoever gets the ball last wins! I think the Rams are going to eek out the win 78-75!
STL

Bucs @ Saints
Just a few years ago(or even just one year ago) this would have been a no-brainer...TB all the way...NOW it's still a no-brainer, but it will be the Saints all the way this year. TB's rookie QB, and gimpy RB won't be able to get anything done against the surprising NO D. Bush still won't hit the endzone, but what does he care? He was smart and drafted LJ!
NO

Titans @ Colts
Want to see a preview of this week's game? Find a group of pitbulls and throw a poodle in the mix. Poor VY...we've all seen the highlight of him scampering into the endzone against USC, but I wonder what will we remeber after this week? Young is again getting thrown into the fire, but can you blame Fisher? He's probably out as head-coach after this season, so he might as well kill the kid on the way out the door. Huge game for all of the Colts.
IND

Redskins @ Giants
This should actually be a tight game. Now that Portis is healthy and shaken off all the cob-webs he is taking this team up a notch. Brunell needs Portis to perform...if he is going to find his WRs. I don't blame Brunell, I blame his vertically challenge receivers....I think the Ewok team has taller WRs. Things aren't looking too bad for the Giants either...sure they're 1-2, but they have a tough tough schedule. I think the Giants win, and while I'm at it here are some more weekly predictions for the G-men. Shockey says some stupid, Shockey either apologizes or doesn't, Shockey gets another tatoo....and some turf toe.
NYG

Cheifs @ Cardinals
I don't know what to think of the Cheifs...they look like garbage against the Bengals and the Broncos, and then they look great against the Niners....O wait I get it....they're losing to good teams and winning against AAA teams. Good for KC they are facing another minor league football team this week. I would love to sit here and tell you how Leinart is going to be fine with all of those weapons around him....I really would. I have Fitz in one league and Boldin in another, and I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm scared! The Cardinal's line isn't going to protect Matt any better than they protect Kurt. I say we start a pool on who lives longer; Young or Leinart.
KC

Jets @ Jaguars
This is another game I like. The Jets are looking surprisingly good. Pennington comes out year after year...loses an arm....then he comes back with avengence. I thought after the last injury he was done, but obviously he had other plans. I think the running game will decide this game. If Fred Taylor doesn't get hurt, the Jets win a close one. If he does get hurt and Maurice comes in, the Jags win a not-so-close one. I really like this kid. I'm going against the grain and picking Taylor to stay healthy for yet another week, and the Jets to get the win....the absence of Matt Jones might be the deciding factor.
NYJ

OAK @ SF
Instead of watching this game you can come to my house and watch me and my 8 year old play some football...the talent level might be about the same. I was on the 49ers bandwagon until they got beat like my dog when he leaves us "presents" on the carpet. I expected to find the entire SF team under my couch shivering just like Badger does. Who knows which Niners team shows up? The one who scored no less than 20 points in the first 3 weeks, or the one who scored ZERO against the Cheifs? Oh that's right...it the Raiders...it won't matter. Oakland loses -3 to 0.
SF

Cowboys @ Eagles
Oh boy do I love a circus! Don't get me wrong...I love ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNHD, ESPN.com, NFLN etc.....but NOT when they are all talking about the same thing!!! Especially when that thing is a horse that they have already beaten to death! Ok, I get it, T.O. is a spoiled, arrogant, insecure, self-absorbed, moody person....but who isn't? There is a reason I don't watch "As the World Turns"...I hate soap operas! I hate drama! This is dramabowl 2006...get sucked into it if you want to! As far as the game goes...the Cowboys are going to win. Is it a garuntee? No, I learned my lesson from Roy Williams. The injuries that are plauging the Eagles are going to be too much for them to overcome. If both teams were full strength I would definately go with Philly, but Westbrook? INJ. Brown? INJ. Stallworth? INJ. Even if all 3 of them play, they are not at 100%.
DAL

Steelers @ Chargers
Sometimes team's bye-weeks happen just when they need them most. Did the bye-week help Roethlisberger shake all the rust off? Probably. Will it matter? Who knows. This is one of those games I hate picking. Sure the Chargers have looked good (except for last week when they lost to an undefeated Ravens team), but who have they looked good against? Tennessee and Oakland...YUCK! While the Steelers have lost to the Bengals and the Jags with Ben at QB. This game will tell us all we need to know about both of these teams, but that does me no good right now. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Chargers 2 wins mean really not much and give the Steelers the benefit of the doubt.
PIT

Ravens @ Broncos
I can't stand Denver fans. Where are the calls for Cutler now? Just wait...they'll be coming. Sure he looked good against the Pats two weeks ago, but do you think he's going to get it done against the Raven's D? Probably not...but he will do enough to win this game. But Baltimore is undefeated you say? Hmmm...let's look closer...they have beaten:
Tampa Bay (0 wins)
Oakland (0 wins)
Cleveland (1 win) and they almost lost this game.
San Diego (2 wins...against OAK and TEN!) and they had to come from behind to win this game!
I think we've been smoke-screened by the Ravens perfect season...Plummer survives to play another week, but the whines of Denver are never that far away......listen carefully....can you hear them??
DEN

There it is...lock it up...championship.

Have a good weekend...see you Monday!