Wild Card Week Championship Week Super Bowl V
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Championship Week Previews
Abstract Machines
at
The Pimps
(8 - 6)
(10 - 3)
series history: Pimps lead 6-1
last meeting: Week 7
PIMPS 29, vs Machines 28
postseason records:
Machines 3-3, Pimps 1-4
 

Championship Week 2001 kicks off with the Eastern Division Champion Pimps playing host to the rejuvenated Abstract Machines. Last week, the Machines avenged a Week 13 defeat at the hands of the Bock Boys by knocking them from the playoff bracket. The Pimps, meanwhile, had a week of rest and are ready to make their third Championship push for their first Super Bowl appearance.

Two years removed from their own Super Bowl appearance, the fifth seeded Abstract Machines look to power their way back to the big game. Last week, the Machines overcame the B' Boys thanks to punishing efforts from Marshall Faulk and Corey Dillon. They will need more of the same this week, particularly with the inefficiencies at the QB position. Brad Johnson nearly crippled the offense against Thomas with a dismal (minus)1 performance. He'll get the call again, but will need to get the ball early and often to the likes of Marvin Harrison and Kevin Johnson. Complimentary to the Machines offense, their Rams defense has been the best this franchise has seen in several years, and it just may be the key to getting past The Pimps.

The home team will be sporting a handsome four-point home field advantage this week, but The Pimps are not without concern. Ricky Watters has been lost for the season, elevating Shaun Alexander back into a full-time starter. The only remaining back on the roster - Jerome Bettis - is nursing a nagging groin injury, and may be a no-go come gametime. Moreover, the team's best receiver - Rod Smith - will be sitting this one out on a bye. Jerry Rice, Peerless Price, and likely Derrick Alexander will man the flanks in his absence. Even the quarterback position isn't without controversy; it is uncertain whether Mark Brunell or Alex Van Pelt will get the nod. The Pimps' Green Bay defense has been one of the league's best this season and will need to put the clamps on the Machines' potent offense. If they can, and if the offense can survive its handicaps for the week, The Pimps will be headed to Super Bowl V.

Despite losing to P.W.O.P. in the final week of the regular season, The division champs won eight of their final nine games. Perhaps more significantly, after losing to the Machines in Week 4 of the '97 season, The Pimps have won the last six games in the series, including a one-point win earlier this season on a neutral site. The Machines would like nothing better than to stop that streak and leave the Eastern division champs at home for the holidays.

victims of the bye week:
Machines - none
Pimps - REC Smith

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P.W.O.P.
at
Irwin Hellions
(8 - 6)
(9 - 4)

series history: Irwin leads 9-1
last meeting: Week 8
P.W.O.P. 28, at IRWIN 31
postseason records:
P.W.O.P. 3-3, Irwin 4-3
 

This week's other war pits Western division rivals P.W.O.P. and the three-time division champion Irwin Hellions with a Super Bowl berth on the line. P.W.O.P. has forged an impressive late season charge to get back into Championship Week for the first time since '98. Astonishingly, the Hellions find themselves playing in C' Week for the fourth time in five seasons.

The third-seeded Profiteer$ survived a Monday Night Wild Card scare against the Stereco last week, thanks to a surprisingly strong defensive effort. They'll need another big game from their Raiders defense on top of a much stronger offensive showing if they hope to down the Hellions. Last week, Randy Moss accounted for 13 of the team's 27 offensive points while Ahman Green was held to 1. The running game will need to find its legs to take pressure off a gimpy Jeff Garcia, who needs to do better than last week's 6. The rest of the offensive role-players will have to elevate their game as well, or the Profiteer$ will fall to 0-2 while on the Super Bowl's doorstep.

The defending Super Bowl Champion Hellions closed out the regular season by dropping three of their final four games. Unlike last season, they've been dealt some difficult cards to play with. Edgerrin James has been lost for the season, and Warrick Dunn has been less than spectacular in his absence. Marcus Robinson is also on I.R., but Jimmy Smith and Johnnie Morton have done their best to fill in his production at receiver. The most damaging absence, however, could be kicker Wade Richey, who has been benched without a replacement. With all that going against them, the Hellions still have Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, and Curtis Martin to throw at the Profiteer$, which can't be a bad thing. Defensively, Irwin's Buccaneer squad has been somewhat of a letdown, but they're still a more consistently productive unit than P.W.O.P.'s Oakland team.

P.W.O.P. enters the game having won five in a row, but a sixth against the Hellions may be too much to ask. In what is by far the most lopsided series in the league, Irwin has won 9 of the 10 career meetings between the two, including the last six. Viewed in such a light, the defending champs couldn't have asked for a more favorable matchup this week. Just don't expect the overachieving Profiteer$ to back down out of respect for history. This here will be a war.

victims of the bye week:
P.W.O.P. - none
Irwin - none

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