Wild Card Week 2009 kicks off from Bockyard Stadium, where the third-seeded Thomas' Bock Boys host the sixth-seeded Piana Raze. These two clubs failed to settle their differences here in Bockville in Week 6 (tying 44-44), but Thomas eeked out a 46-44 win at En Fuego field to win the season series over Piana. That win, it turns out, is the difference between being the third seed and at home and being the sixth seed and on the road for the first round of the '09 playoffs.

The Piana Raze is one of two teams making the tournament this year after missing out on the postseason a year ago. (Check below for the second team.) Coming off a 4-9 season, the '09 Raze had high hopes given their strong draft class from a year ago. That class was so strong in fact, they ended up dealing away Chris Johnson just to meet the pre-draft salary cap. That moves looks foolish now, of course, as the runner they kept (Matt Forte) has since been cut, and Michael Turner has been hobbled by injuries. Yet the Raze still have Maurice Jones-Drew and Reggie Wayne, two players who know what's it like to win a Super Bowl. And even though Piana's the lowest seed and the only playoff team without a winning record, it was just two short years ago that the sixth-seeded Anderson Brewmeisters ran the table to win it all.

It's been four years since Thomas' Bock Boys have played in a Wild Card game. Having won the Western Division in each of the previous two years, they were able to skip directly to Championship Week. Thomas nearly made it three years in a row, but the defending Super Bowl champions finished second in the West this time around, a half-game behind the Irwin Hellions. Regardless, this will be the third straight year the Boys get to play in their own backyard in the playoffs, and the '09 Bockers have been very stout at home (4-1-1), losing only a Week 1 family affair with the Profiteer$. If one were to glance at the Bock Boy roster, very few bona fide stars stand out. David Garrard? Ricky Williams? Jamaal Charles? Can this really be a team that has gone 27-14-1 over the past three seasons? Indeed it is, and there's one thing they do really well: Just win, baby.

The champs certainly have some swagger, having won five of their last seven. The Raze also won more than they lost down the stretch, with each win turning out to be absolutely necessary in getting Piana back into the tournament. Of course, all those records and seeding numbers are meaningless now. It's win or go home. Having already played two close games (one tie and one decided by a mere two points), you can expect some drama for Round 3. Just don't expect a blowout.

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The second Wild Card game originates from the other Pirkle locale – Oiltown, USA – where the fourth-seed Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ play host to the fifth-seeded Abstract Machines. Both clubs were in the hunt for the Western Division title heading into last week, but once Irwin jumped all over the Raze, both the Machines and Profiteer$ pulled their starters. (At least, that's my explanation for them posting the two lowest raw scores of the week.) They'll both need to ramp the effort way back up if they want to advance to the next round.

Had the Machines defeated Thomas last week, not only would it have been their seventh consecutive victory following a 1-5 start, it would have also given them a rare home playoff game. How rare? The Machines haven't hosted a playoff game since 2005, and – more shockingly – that was their one and only time to do so. In actuality, the No. 5 seed should just be renamed the Machine-seed, since the AMs have held that postseason position for five straight years now. Having been one-and-done in each of the past three seasons, the Mechanical Ones are certainly hoping to break that streak and get back into the Championship Week. They certainly have the will to do it -- you don't just pick yourself up from 1-5 and go on to make the playoffs without some serious determination.

Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ are back in the playoff field following a one year absence. Last season, Pirk jumped out to a 5-1 start before eventually losing their last five games to miss the cut at 6-7. A big reason for their collapse was horrible defensive play, and so Pirk quickly addressed this issue in the draft, selecting two top-tier units in the first round. Although the Giants eventually floundered, P.W.O.P.'s Vikings defense has helped deliver the Profiteer$ back into the playoffs. (Please disregard their season-worst 1-point effort last week.) P.W.O.P. finished the '09 regular season one game and three seeding positions higher than '08. There is a familiarity with this game; the Profiteer$ were the fourth seed in 2007 as well, and that year they trashed the Machines 65-32 before ultimately losing to Jody in Championship Week.

ONe od the most interesting subplots of this game will be who starts at quarterback for each club. Both the Machines and Profiteer$ have a pair of stars that have each seen action of the course of the season. Will the Machines go with Tom Brady or Brett Favre? Will it be Philip Rivers or Tony Romo for the W.O.P.? The wrong call could ultimately send one of these teams home for the holidays.

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For the third consecutive year, the Draft Bowl is an all-Eastern affair. The participants of the past two DBs – The Pimps and Sims Stereco – played themselves out of a third consecutive appearance (but not quite into the playoffs), instead leaving the bottom-dwelling Anderson Brewmeisters and Naughty Figs to fight it out for rights to the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. Like Thomas and Piana, these two tied in their first regular season meeting (way back in Week 1), and then Anderson claimed a three-point home victory in the Week 11 rematch.

Age and injury finally caught up to the Brewmeisters, who have their consecutive seasons in the playoffs streak snapped at five. Peyton Manning is still an MVP-calibur player, but he got very little help from anyone else. The Brew Krew actually finished dead last in total points (according to CBS' Power Rankings). The once formidable running game is a shell of its former self. Just last season, both LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook were Top 10 backs; this season, neither is close to being in the Top 20. It may be an issue of rebuilding rather than just rebounding in 2010 for a team that managed three consecutive Championship Week appearances.

The Naughty Figs crashed hard and fast from their historic 12-1 campaign from a year ago. Having never made the playoffs in consecutive years, 2008 Eastern Division Champs seemed in prime position to do so, but – like Anderson – injuries and underproduction derailed their season. The FIgs tumble into Draft Bowl XIII having lost six of their last seven, and that lone win was by a mere 1 point at home. The biggest Fig cheerleader for this one, strangely enough, may be Jody. The team that took the Eastern Division title away from the Figs also owns the Naughties' first round pick in next season's draft. So a Fig victory would give the new Eastern Champs first dibs on any available player.

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