In what must surely be considered the most important game in their respective franchise's recent history, the 6-4 Anderson Brewmeisters take on the 7-3 Naughty Figs in a battle for Eastern Division supremacy. These two closed out 2003 against each other in the Draft Bowl, and now, ten games later, they're playing for a shot at the division title.

Anderson comes into this one having won two straight, thanks largely to Peyton Manning and the Patriots defense. Manning, all told, has scored 16 or more points in each of his past four games, while the Patriots "D" have posted 19 and 28 in its last two. The Figs saw their four-game winning streak snapped by Piana last week, with Joey Harrington – subbing for the injured Chad Pennington – failing to score a single point. The whole team will have to step it back up if they're to keep up with the gunning Brewmeisters this week. Both clubs are an impressive 5-1 in the division, but Anderson has already beaten the FIgs once, and a season sweep would give the Brewskies a huge tiebreaker over the Naughty Ones as the Eastern race winds down.

back to scoreboard

The sliding Pimps look to right the ship as they take on the resilient Sims Stereco for the second time in four weeks. The Pimps used a 63-35 thrashing of Sims in Week 8 to snap a two-game losing streak, but they've lost two more in as many weeks since then. The Stereco, meanwhile, defeated the C.W.O.T. last week to improve to 4-6 and remain on the playoff fringe.

Despite losing four of their last five, The Pimps are still in good shape to host a playoff game or even win the East, but they'll need more consistent play from their starters. While Shaun Alexander and Corey Dillon have both excelled in the past two games, David Carr and Kris Brown have only scored 3 and 1 point, respectively, in that span. For the Stereco, their Philly connection of Terrell Owens and David Akers has been very successful, yet the lack of a formidable running game has hurt their ability to sustain drives and score points. They shouldn't need too much extra motivation for this Eastern Division showdown, however, particularly with Week 8's 28-point loss to The Pimps still fresh in their minds.

back to scoreboard

Jody's Colossal Waste of Time hosts the off-again, on-again Irwin Hellions in their final home game of the 2004 regular season. Jody has been a major disappointment this season, already having lost 8 games including five straight coming into this one. What's even worse, the C.W.O.T. have dropped three straight interdivisional contests after a remarkable 12-game winning stretch.

The Hellions come into this one with renewed energy following a 51-28 crushing of the rival Bock Boys. Donovan McNabb had his second 20-point effort of the season last week, and halfback Domanick Davis turned in his second consecutive double-digit performance. Most impressively, Irwin's Falcons defense had a huge 22-point game and is looking to inflict even more damage against the Pewter & Black. Jody is suffering from a Monday Night hangover in which they've seen late leads dissolve under the primetime lights in each of the last two weeks. If nothing else, the C.W.O.T. should be happy that Irwin doesn't have any Chiefs or Patriots on the roster.

back to scoreboard

The red hot Piana Raze visit Oil Town, USA in search of their fourth straight win and a season sweep over Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$. The Raze have ripped through the Machines, Bock Boys, and Figs in successive weeks, scoring 50+ points in each contest. The Profiteer$, meanwhile, have won two of their last three, but with seven losses are teetering on the edge of playoff ineligibility.

Piana owes much of its recent success to a production explosion from placekicker Adam Vinatieri and its Steeler defense. Sliding under the radar, however, is Tiki Barber, who has emerged as the most productive back of the year and has scored 11 or more points in each of Piana's last four games. Pirk will counter with Ahman Green in the backfield and an aggressive Lions defense. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a rough game (3 points), but will likely get the call again as the Profiteer$ look to douse the defending division champs.

back to scoreboard

The defending Super Bowl Champion Thomas' Bock Boys return home to try and snap a two-game losing streak as they host the division-leading Abstract Machines. The Boys have suffered consecutive losses to the Raze and Hellions, knocking them down to 5-5 and into a three-way tie with Piana and Irwin. The Abstract Machines have chugged along, quietly winning six of their last seven games to build a two-game lead over the second-place trio.

The Machines could possibly win their first ever Western Division title this week, should they beat Thomas and Piana lose to Pirk. A large reason for this potential worst-to-first turnaround is the addition of Tom Brady and Curtis Martin to the team via the 2004 draft. These two players are the leading offensive scorers on the team, and with the receiving corps struggling with consistency, there will be even more pressure on them produce. The team has also capitalized on a great season from its Ravens defense, which ranks second in overall production behind Piana's Steelers squad.

The Bock Boys have suffered injuries at the least opportune time of the season. Last week, with Reuben Droughns out on bye and both Priest Holmes and Thomas Jones held out with injuries, Thomas had to face the Hellions without a single functioning running back. Roughens will be back, but Holmes and Jones could miss this week's game as well. That would put extreme pressure on Daunte Culpepper and a band of unheralded receivers to deliver the Boys to victory.

Thomas lost the first meeting with the Machines this year by 5 points in a game in which they didn't field a defense. The Eagles will be on the field this time around, however, and Thomas really can't afford a third consecutive loss. Already at 5-5, they'd be potentially on the outside looking in at the six-team playoff bracket.

back to scoreboard