The dream 2006 season is over for Drew Brees, and salvaging the 2007 one is not going to be easy.

Four weeks are in the books, and it is time for another round of soothsaying. However, before we can move on to Week Five, we need to take a look back at how we did for Week Four.

What We Got Right: the Raiders, Packers, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Colts, and Patriots

What We Got Wrong: the Falcons, Browns, Bears, Bills, Seahawks, Chargers, and Eagles

A rough week with all the upsets, yet we still break even on the week, and stay ahead on the season at 35-23-4, 0.603 PCT.

Now, here are this week’s picks:

Panthers (+3) over SAINTS

The home team automatically gets three points just for being at home, so Vegas considers this one a wash. Good for Vegas – it is not a wash. If anything, the Panthers should be the favorites even with this game being in New Orleans. For one, the Saints have lost the thunder (or is he the lightning?) in their thunder and lightning running back tandem with the loss of Deuce McAllister, and Reggie Bush is not up for carrying the load on his own. Drew Brees has been a major disappointment as well, and he will not be able to pick up the slack for them. While the Panthers might have issues, their issues are nowhere near as severe, so advantage Carolina.

Jaguars (-2) over CHIEFS

Yes, the Chiefs pulled off an amazing win last week, but they remain a very lousy team. Will the high of last week continue into this week’s game? No, sorry – Damon Huard is a lousy option at quarterback, Larry Johnson is still struggling, and they will not be playing a team that has given up on its coach and front office. Yes, that was an insult at the Chargers if you did not get it. Jacksonville is coming off a Week Four bye and a big Week Three win and they look ready to build on that momentum. They will here, and my more than a safety.

Lions (-3.5) over REDSKINS

The Lions somehow are the one of the hottest teams in the league, making Jon Kitna look less like a drunken fool and more like Cassandra for having said that the Lions will win at least ten games this year. Last week, the Lions’ defense and special teams came up big, shutting down the Bears. The Redskins’ bye game at the right time for them, giving them a chance to lick their wounds after a rough loss to the Giants in Week Three. Can they rebound this week? If the Giants’ offense is too much for the Redskins, the ‘skins are almost certain to be overmatched this week.

TITANS (-8) over Falcons

The Falcons’ win last week upset many a better last week by not only winning but also winning big – where did that one come from? We are going with the “they still had photos Matt Schaub does not made public” theory, and leave it at that. As for this week, the Titans’ defense will be ready for Falcons, and should not have the same issues that the Texans clearly did. Vince Young is going to go crazy, and Joey Harrington will go back to being Joey Harrington this week.

TEXANS (-6.5) over Dolphins

The Raiders scored 35 points against the Dolphins last week. The Raiders are not good at all, or even close. The Texans, on the other hand, are good, their loss against the Falcons notwithstanding. Trent Green is a shell of his former self, and the lack of offensive weapons to work with does not help. Schaub has a lot of work to do to redeem his performance last week, and he will do so this week over the hapless fish.

Seahawks (+6) over STEELERS

Again, the Steelers are a big favorite over a solid team for no real reason other than that the linesmakers seem to like the Steelers. Can there possibly be any other reason for a six-point spread? The Cardinals shut the Steelers down last week and the Seahawks were definitely watching. The Steelers’ offense has issues, and can be contained, which makes six points seem like an awful lot. The Steelers might still go on to win, but not by this much.

PATRIOTS (-17) over Browns

Just 17 points? Seriously – just 17? We would give 24.

Cardinals (-4) over RAMS

The Cardinals showed last week why we have had so much faith in them this season with their win last week. Sure, they still have not settled on which quarterback they want to use, and it seems as if they are quite happy using both at any given moment, and the switching has not negatively impacted Edgerrin James at all. As for the Rams, they have settled on their quarterback too, as they are benching Marc Bulger, although they insist it is not for performance. Sure it isn’t. Gus Frerotte will be no better.

GIANTS (-4) over Jets

Can we really call the Giants the home team here, when the opposition already has a locker room at the stadium? Even without the traditional home field advantage here, the Giants are the better team here. The Jets are a mess, as shown by their loss to the lowly Bills last week, while the Giants actually showed that they really do have a defense last week in shutting down the Eagles. It will be much of the same this week – the Giants will not have an overpowering offense, but they will not need it.

COLTS (-9.5) over Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have been a lot better than many, including the Soothsayer, were willing to give them credit for at the beginning of the season, but the Colts are simply too tough at home for the Buccaneers to overcome. Look for Peyton Manning to have another big game, as he is wont to do, and another Colt win.

BRONCOS (EVEN) over Chargers

Yep, the team that we called quitters earlier – and we stand by that. The Chargers do a great job of whining and pouting and calling others cheaters while ignoring their multiple convicted steroid users, but they seem to have forgotten how to play as a team and win. If they cannot beat the Chiefs, how can they beat the Broncos, and in Denver no less? They cannot. The Broncos might have lost last week as well, but they looked much better and were facing a much tougher opponent than the Chargers, and on the road. They will rebound here.

Ravens (-3.5) over 49ERS

The Soothsayer’s faith in the 49ers was shattered last week in their emasculating 23-3 loss to the Seahawks, and they will have their hands full with the Ravens this week regardless of whether it is Alex Smith or Trent Dilfer getting the snaps. The Ravens do not need much out of Steve McNair this week, as the defense will win it for them.

PACKERS (-4) over Bears

The Packers have been rolling so far, but they are going to run into problems eventually if they do not balance out their offense more. Right now, they live and die by the arm of Brett Favre – for now, that is working, and it will work this week but eventually a running game will be needed. For the Bears, all they need to do is figure out what the offense is supposed to do, if it is even supposed to do anything. Right now, the answer to that is, “not really.”

COWBOYS (-11.5) over Bills

How the heck did this get to be a Monday Night game? The Cowboys are the Patriots of the NFC, with everything clicking on offense and defense, while the Bills have a quarterback controversy with two mediocre quarterbacks that could not make half the teams in the NFL as a backup. This should not be close, to the misery of ESPN programmers.