NFL Week 5 Picks For Every Game

September featured more than its fair share of surprises, disappointment and excitement in the NFL.

The biggest surprise through the first four weeks of the 2012 regular season has been the direction of the two teams that faced off in the Hall of Fame Game prior to the start of preseason — the Arizona Cardinals (4-0), one of only three teams still unbeaten (along with the Texans and Falcons) and the New Orleans Saints (0-4), one of only two teams (along with the Browns) without a win heading into October.

The Cardinals kick Week 5′s great slate of games into swing against the St. Louis Rams (2-2) in a division collision on Thursday Night Football.  The Saints, on the other hand, will host San Diego on Sunday Night Football.  Here are GridironGrit.com’s staff picks for these two contests, as well as the other 12 matchups on tap.

ARI (4-0) at STL (2-2) Oct 4, 2012 8:20 PM Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis, Mo.)
MIA (1-3) at CIN (2-2) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM Paul Brown Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)
BAL (3-1) at KC (1-3) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.)
CLE (0-4) at NYG (2-2) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM MetLife Stadium (E. Rutherford, N.J.)
GB (2-2) at IND (1-2) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Ind.)
ATL (4-0) at WAS (2-2) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM FedEx Field (Landover, Md.)
PHI (3-1) at PIT (1-2) Oct 7, 2012 1:00 PM Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
CHI (3-1) at JAC (1-3) Oct 7, 2012 4:05 PM EverBank Field (Jacksonville, Fla.)
SEA (2-2) at CAR (1-3) Oct 7, 2012 4:05 PM Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
DEN (2-2) at NE (2-2) Oct 7, 2012 4:25 PM Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
BUF (2-2) at SF (3-1) Oct 7, 2012 4:25 PM Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)
TEN (1-3) at MIN (3-1) Oct 7, 2012 4:25 PM Mall of America Field (Minneapolis, Minn.)
SD (3-1) at NO (0-4) Oct 7, 2012 8:20 PM Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, La.)
HOU (4-0) at NYJ (2-2) Oct 8, 8:30 PM MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

You can also check out Danny V’s individual previews for each game.  Louis Musto covers the NFC East, NFL and pop culture at Gridiron Grit.  Follow him on Twitter at @LouisMusto.    

Oren Shiri  is the Creative Director and an analyst at GridironGrit.com and Founder of NFL Draft Insiders.  Follow him on Twitter at @NFLorentime.  

Michael Gartman is a College Football and NFL Senior Writer, the AFC South and NFC West Lead Writer and the Founder, CEO of GridironGrit.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @_MichaelGartman.  

Also follow @GridironGrit, @CFBGridironGrit and@NFLGridironGrit on Twitter!