The defending Super Bowl Champion Stereco look to win their first game of 2003 as they visit the Anderson Brewmeisters at Saint Arnold Stadium in the Brewskies' home opener.

Last week, Sims saw its seven-game winning streak stopped cold by The Pimps, 36-31. Drew Bledsoe, filling in for the injured Mike Vick, was respectable with 6 points, but kicker David Akers – a big part of Sims' Super Bowl run – was shut out entirely. The leading scorer for the black and red was Derrick Mason, the former Brewmeister wideout who now gets to face the team that dealt him away during the offseason.

Anderson, by contrast, got off to a hot start in Week 1, avenging last season's Wild Card loss to Jody in impressive fashion. That's not say all things are good with the Brew Krew. Team-leader Peyton Manning enters the week still searching for his first points on the season. All star halfback LaDainian Tomlinson also got off to a slow start and would like nothing better than to find his game in front of the home crowd. The Brewmeisters have all the momentum in this series having won four of the last five meetings, including a season sweep a year ago.

victims of the bye week: none

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The Naughty Figs continue their season-opening road trip to visit The division-rival Pimps. Last week, the Figs were on the short end of a 47-46 nail-biter with the Profiteer$, while The Pimps were busy knocking the Super Bowl Champion Strereco down a notch or two in the Game of the Week.

The Figs finished strong in 2002, winning three of their last four including a 41-40 decision against The Pimps in the season finale. That momentum seemed to carry over into 2003's opening week. Rich Gannon and Clinton Portis were very business-like in scoring 11 and 14 points, respectively. Yet it was the Buffalo defense that surprised everyone, debuting with a stellar 22-point effort. More of the same could spell trouble for the defending Eastern Division Champions.

Then again, The Pimps thrive on bucking the odds. After an offseason quarterback controversy, Tommy Maddox came out and abused the Stereco secondary for a team-high 14 points. That in turn freed up Shaun Alexander to rush for 12 more. Despite those lofty numbers, The Pimps might need better production from their heralded receiving corps if they're to keep up with the Figs.

victims of the bye week: none

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Thomas' Bock Boys hit the road in Week 2, traveling to The Vortex to meet up with the team that ended their playoff run from a year ago, Jody's Colossal Waste of Time. Last season, the Wild Card C.W.O.T. clipped the Western Division Champion Bock Boys 38-37 in one of the greatest Championship Week games ever played. However, both clubs come into this week's rematch looking for their first win of the young season.

Although they came up short against the Hellions last week, the Bock Boys had to be encouraged by a healthy Priest Holmes running for a team-high 15 points. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper also got off to a hot start (12 points), but Thomas would like to see more production from the receiving corps and defense. Receiver Tim Brown, who played the last six seasons for the C.W.O.T., scored six in his Bock Boy debut and will be gunning to show up his former teammates.

The Pewter and Black suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Brewmeisters last week and is eager to show the league and its fans that Week 1 was a fluke. To do so, they'll need more big plays from the offense, where Deuce McAllister's 7 points was a team high last week. Perhaps more importantly than that, they'll need the defense to return to form after a league-worst minus-2 effort. Neither team can imagine starting the new year 0-2, so this one should be quite a battle of desperation.

victims of the bye week: none

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The only Week 2 matchup pairing Week 1 winners has Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ visiting the Piana Raze at En Fuego Field. Despite identical records, P.W.O.P. had the league's best performance of the opening week while Piana did just enough to steal a win.

Any remaining whispers of the Profiteer$' late-season collapse were hushed in Week 1 as the team had five starters post double-digits en route to a dramatic 47-46 victory over the Naughty Figs. Even Jeff Garcia's doubters had to be impressed as the quarterback lead the team with 14 points. Travis Henry and Ahman Green each found the end zone twice, and the two halfbacks will be aiming for similar success against a divisional foe.

The Raze's opening week win over the Machines was not without its casualties. Quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Donald Driver were both injured to such an extent that they've been ruled out for this week's game. Kelly Holcomb will get his first ever FLF start in Warner's place, but the team will likely work Tiki Barber and Jamal Lewis to move the chains and keep pressure off their young QB. Piana has lost their last three meetings with P.W.O.P., and, in a more alarming stat, they've only won a single home games in each of the past two regular seasons.

victims of the bye week: none

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On the heels of their stirring, come-from-behind victory over the Bock Boys in Bockville, the Irwin Hellions make their 2003 home debut against the Abstract Machines in the Week 2 Game of the Week.

The Machines stumbled hard out of the gate, losing their season opener to Piana, 23-18. With the exception of Trent Green, the offense couldn't get anything going as Marshall Faulk, Corey Dillon, Marvin Harrison, and David Patten were held to 2 points apiece. It's hard to think that such an apathetic performance could be repeated, particularly with the talent and leadership on the club. Granted, the Hellhole isn't the ideal rebound locale for a visitor down on its luck.

The Hellions, by contrast, are riding an early season high. Having lost their last six games of 2002 --including the franchise's first ever appearance in the league's Draft Bowl -- the former two-time Super Bowl Champs have regained some of their swagger. The retooled receiving corps is a big reason why. Andre Johnson, Chris Chambers, and Chad Johnson combined for 25 points last week when the rest of the skilled positions managed just 7. This new threat at wideout gives a traditional run-heavy offense more balance and the team new hope regarding its immediate future.

There's a lot of ball to be played before playoff tickets are punched, but for the Machines and Hellions, who combined for a mere 7 wins and no playoff appearances last year, this early season meeting has a much greater sense of urgency.

victims of the bye week: none

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