The Week That Was in Fantasy League Football

In what was essentially a playoff game between longtime division rivals, the Sims Stereco triumphed over the Anderson Brewmeisters by a field goal, ending the Brew Krew's bid for a fourth straight playoff appearance. Stereco quarterback Aaron Brooks posted a game high 13 points, and Ricky Williams pounded out 9 more on the ground. The Brewmeisters countered with 8 points from Peyton Manning and a combined 18 from Duce Staley and LaDainian Tomlinson. Surprisingly, both kickers flourished in the pressure of the game, with Sims' David Akers narrowly outperforming Anderson's Mike Vanderjagt 11-9. Yet as thrilling as the offense was, the defense was practically invisible. Sims took a narrow victory as its Kansas City squad barely outdid the Brewmeisters' Charger squad 5-4. Despite these small victories, the Stereco trailed by two heading into Monday Night. Antonio Freeman, the last player on the board, was held scoreless in the first half but caught a game-breaking 60 yard pass at the opening of the third quarter to seal the win for the home team. The loss, Anderson's eighth, makes them playoff ineligible for the first time in franchise history. The win keeps the Stereco's own playoff hopes alive, but they will need to beat the Figs next week and get some help if they're to get an invitation to the party.

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Last week, Pimps quarterback Alex Van Pelt thrilled audiences in his sparkling debut while leading The Pimps past the Stereco. This week, the same Alex Van Pelt tossed four interceptions and stripped his own offense of five points. Thankfully to the silver and blue, the Naughty Figs had problems of their own. In what was easily the ugliest game of the week, The Eastern Champion Pimps finally defeated the collapsing Figs, but had to rely on a stellar Monday Night defensive performance to do so. With Van Pelt working against them, The Pimps' offense struggled to put up big numbers. Jerome Bettis, Shaun Alexander, and Jerry Rice posted 8 apiece, but there wasn't much else. Rich Gannon - as always - led the rally for the Figs with 13, and Lamar Smith had the next best output with 5. Astonishingly, however, the Figs had scored a 7-point offensive victory. And then it all came undone. Their Browns defense, starting in place of the misfiring Ravens, laid an egg at the worst possible time, posting a minus(-) 2. The Pimps' Packers defense answered with their best game in weeks, a 22-point prime time assault which left the Figs in the dirt. The win is the eighth straight for the Eastern Champs and sets a new single season record for consecutive wins. The loss, the Figs' fourth in a row, is potentially devastating. After starting the season 4-0, the 6-6 Figs find themselves in a must-win game against the Stereco next week if they're to make their playoff debut.

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In the second of three really close games this week, Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ took down Thomas' Bock Boys in Bockville to sweep the season series. P.W.O.P.'s Jeff Garcia beat out Thomas' suddenly gimpy Daunte Culpepper 11-1, and kept piling on the offense behind Ahman Green's 9 and Randy Moss' 10. Preist Holmes (7 points) and David Boston (8) tried in vain to make up for their injured QB, but P.W.O.P. claimed a decisive offensive advantage. Thomas clawed its way back into the game on defense, however, as its Eagles unit easily handled P.W.O.P.'s Raiders team 14-3. Like the previous two games, this one came down to Monday night. With the matchup all knotted up, Ahman Green pulled down screen pass in the waning minutes of the Monday Night game and rumbled 40 yards to give the visiting team the victory. The victory is a huge one for the P.W.O.P.. Sweeping the season series from the Bock Boys, coupled with losses by Anderson and the Figs, clinches a playoff spot for this weathered franchise. As for Thomas, their own postseason ticket is now in doubt. They'll need a win next week over the Machines or a Stereco loss to ensure a second straight playoff appearance.

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The Abstract Machines made a point during their final road game of the regular season while crushing the division champion Hellions: Marshall Faulk and company are ready for the playoffs. The Machines turned in the league's best effort of the week, thanks largely to Marshall Faulk's superhuman (but very Faulk) 19 point extravaganza. Receiver Kevin Johnson came in a distant second on the squad with 8 points as the rest of the team nicely followed Faulk's lead. Brett Favre's 17-point Monday Night clinic notwithstanding, the Hellions really struggled on offense. Warrick Dunn and Dominic Rhodes, heroes last week against Anderson, combined for a single point in the loss. Kicker Wade Richey apparently *has* been benched without a replacement, leaving Irwin with a void at place-kicker. The Hellions Buccaneer defense had its second straight solid game while besting the Machines' Rams squad 19-17, but it was too little to late. The win is the Abstract Machines' seventh of the year, thereby guaranteeing the franchise's first ever winning regular season. It also put the Machines in prime position to host a Wild Card game in two weeks. The loss, Irwin's first divisional defeat this season, locks the Hellions into the No. 2 postseason seed for the third straight year.

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In what was arguable the best played game of the week, league bottom-feeders Jody and Piana went toe-to-tow for old times sake. In the end, and keeping with tradition, Jody's Colossal Waste of Time downed the Piana Raze in a possible Draft Bowl preview. The C.W.O.T. had a trio of players in double digits on offense; Tim Brown (10 points), Joe Horn (11), and Martin Gramatica (11) paced the attack. Piana countered with 10 from the still-improving Garrison Hearst, 8 from Billy Schroeder, and 9 from John Carney. Piana's Saints defense finally came alive and roughed up Jody's Miami squad to a tune of 25-13, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Raze's fifth straight defeat. The win improves Jody to 4-8 and sets up a most intriguing contest next week. The loser of Week 13's Jody/Anderson contest will now be Draft Bowl bound to face - you guessed it - the Piana Raze, who punched their ticket with this week's loss.

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