Neutral Site Week 2007 kicks off from the University of Idaho's Kibbie Dome in beautiful Moscow (Idaho). The smallest (16,000 capacity) Division I-A venue will play host to a battle of midseason division leaders as the 3-2-1 Piana Raze look to topple the 5-1 Anderson Brewmeisters. The Raze have won two straight to get them over .500 for the first time this season. The Brewskies are coming off a revenge win against the Machines that helped them reclaim sole possession of first in the East.

Given the explosiveness of the Anderson offense, Piana will need huge performances across the board if they are to pull off the upset. Their own firepower will take a hit, however, with Marc Bulger sitting this one out on bye. Matt Lienart will be getting his first career start in Bulger's place, and he'll have a rested Reggie Wayne and a (hopefully) happy Terrell Owens to throw to. Speaking of receivers, the Brewmeisters will have to play without veteran playmaker Torry Holt (and his 17 Week 6 points), yet there will still be Steve Smith and Santana Moss to pull down bombs from Peyton Manning, who is making his own return off the bye. Anderson has lost three straight Neutral Site Week games, and would love to turn that streak around under the Kibbie Dome.

victims of the bye week:
Piana – QB Bulger, QB Young, K Carney
Anderson – REC Holt

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Three hundred miles south of Moscow lies Boise, where The Pimps make their biennial appearance on the blue turf of Boise State's Bronco Stadium. This year, The Pimps welcome the defending Super Bowl Champion Abstract Machines to town for a Neutral Site showdown of 2-4 teams. The Champs are reeling, having lost three straight to lose their drip on the Western Division lead. The Pimps' only two wins have come against Western opponents, giving them hope for rebounding from last week's 58-13 drubbing at the hands of the Figs.

The Machines will gladly welcome Tom Brady and Marvin Harrison back into the lineup following their bye weeks, but they will have to take the field without their Ravens defense, who is taking its turn on the bench. As bad as that seems for the Abstracts, it's The Pimps who are really getting handcuffed with the bye. Already missing an injured Shaun Alexander, The Feathered Ones will be without their season MVP, the Chicago Bears defense. It may take The Pimps' best offensive effort to date to pull off the victory.

victims of the bye week:
Machines – DEF Baltimore
Pimps – DEF Chicago

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After having four of last year's five Neutral Site games played in Texas, only one stays in the Lone Star state for 2006. The Astrodome, which hosted last year's Jody-Piana showdown, will reopen its doors for Thomas' Bock Boys and the Sims Stereco. Thomas is flirting with missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history following an 0-3 start, while the Stereco – despite last week's loss to Jody – are still off to their best start ever.

Perhaps mercifully, Bock Boy QB Rex Grossman must sit this one out on bye following his horrific (minus)-9 point effort last week. Joining him, however, will be Jeff Wilkins, who had hit double-digits in three of his four starts for Thomas. Sims will be missing a slew of offensive talent as well: Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister, Brian Berrian, Todd Heap, and Robbie Gould will all have to watch from the sidelines as the undermanned Stereco try and hold back the Bock Boys. Thomas won the first three in the series, but Sims has rallied for two wins and a tie in the past three seasons.

victims of the bye week:
Thomas – QB Grossman, K Wilkins
Sims – QB Brees, RB McAllister, REC Berrian, REC Heap, K Gould

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Given their inability to ever defeat the Irwin Hellions, it should come as no surprise that the Naughty Figs selected the University of Alaska's gridiron as a neutral site for their 2006 engagement. Since the Figs' offense has never been able to cool off the Hellions, perhaps the weather can, with gametime temperature predicted to be in the mid-30s. Yet even that may not be able to stop the Hellions from fuming, having lost two straight divisional games by a combined four points.

The Hellions have explosive capabilities in the passing game, but the running game has been exposed; neither DeShaun Foster nor Edgerrin James crack the Top 15 in terms of halfback scoring. A few more points from the backfield could have Irwin at 4-1-1 instead of 2-3-1. The Figs, meanwhile, seem to take a couple of beatings before going off on someone. Their two victories have been by a combined score of 129-22, and yet the Figs still have four marks in the Loss column. And yet – given the 6-win playoff eligibility requirement – both the Hellions and Figs are sitting four wins away from qualification. The loser of this one would need to go 4-2 the rest of the way to reach that 6-win mark.

victims of the bye week:
Irwin – RB White
Figs – REC Horn

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The Game of the Week is also our most Eastern destination for Neutral Site Week 2006. This year's Abbreviation Bowl featuring Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ and Jody's Colossal Waste of Time will come to us from the University of Maine's Harold Alfond Sports Stadium in Bangor, Maine. P.W.O.P. is coming off a huge road victory over the Hellions that evened the Profiteer$ record at 3-3 and has them just a half-game back in the West. Not to be outdone, the C.W.O.T. spent last week knocking the Stereco around en route to a 4-2 record, which is good for second in the East – a game back of the Brewmeisters.

P.W.O.P. is off to its best start in three seasons thanks in part to improved play at the quarterback position. Both Byron Leftwich and draftee Phillip Rivers have been great thus far, possibly to the point of creating a minor QB controversy. C.W.O.T. quarterback Carson Palmer, by comparison, is struggling to match his 2005 output, but he's been buoyed by a strong running attack anchored by the youthful triumvirate of Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, and Ronnie Brown. The bad news for the Pewter & Black, however, is that both Jackson and Gore will be sitting this one out on bye.

Jody has dominated (with a capital "D") this interdivisional series, having won 10 of 12 meetings with the Profiteer$, including eight of the last nine. P.W.O.P. would certainly love to pull the upset, but they can at least take comfort in being from the Western Division, where a Week 7 loss will still keep you right in the thick of things.

victims of the bye week:
P.W.O.P. – RB Bush, REC Colston
Jody – RB Gore, RB Jackson, REC Muhammad

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