IT IS TRULY A GREAT TIME OF THE YEAR TO BE A SPORTS FAN, WITH THE NFL SEASON IN FULL SWING, THE WORLD SERIES, THE NBA TIPPING-OFF AND NOW LFL FOOTBALL ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. WHAT MAKES IT EVEN SWEETER IS WHEN YOU GET PLAYOFF CALIBER MATCH-UPS AND INTENSITY IN THE REGULAR SEASON. THIS WEEK'S LFL MATCH-UP INCLUDES NO.2 RANKED PHILADELPHIA PASSION HOSTING THE RESURGENT NO.4 RANKED MIAMI CALIENTE ON LFL, FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.

GET YOUR POPCORN READY FOR THIS MATCH-UP, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS. WHETHER IT WILL BE THE BEST PASSING COMBO IN THE LEAGUE WITH MIAMI'S QB #12 ANONKA DIXON TO #11 WR TINA CACCAVALE OR THE SWEET FEET OF PHILLY'S RB #13 TYRAH LUSBY WHO EXPLODED FOR 5TDS LAST WEEK AGAINST NEW YORK.

LET'S START WITH THE LFL'S MODEL FRANCHISE THE PHILADELPHIA PASSION LED BY ONE OF THE HUMBLE YET EFFECTIVE HEAD COACHES IN THE LEAGUE, CHANDLER BROWN. LIKE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRO FOOTBALL TEAMS, YOU MUST HAVE A FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK, PHILLY HAS PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST MANAGERS OF THE GAME IN #1 JACKIE DANICO. BEHIND DANCO RESTS THE MOST EXPLOSIVE OFFENSIVE WEAPON IN THE GAME, RB TYRAH LUSBY WHO WILL BE FEATURED EXTENSIVELY WITH INSIDE RUNNING AND QUICK-SCREENS, JUST ASK NEW YORK'S DEFENSE THAT WAS TORCHED BY LUSBY FOR 5 TDS. DESPITE LAST WEEK BEING PHILLY'S SEASON OPENER TUNE-UP, THE OFFENSE RACKED UP 40 PTS FEATURING A MYRIAD OF PLAYERS.

ALONG WITH OFFENSE, EVERY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM NEEDS A DEFENSE AND PHILLY HAS ONE OF THE BEST ANCHORED BY MIDDLE LINEBACKER #18 DONNA FERRY AND ALL-FANTASY CORNERBACK #10 JAMIE DIAMOND. WHILE THIS DEFENSE YIELDED ONLY 6PTS IN THE SEASON OPENER, THE SECONDARY WAS EXPOSED AT TIMES BY NEW YORK WITH THE BIG PLAY. IF THERE IS ONE PLAY THAT YOU WANT TO DEFEND AGAINST WHEN YOU PLAY MIAMI, ITS THE BIG PLAY. LOOK FOR COACH BROWN TO ADDRESS HIS SECONDARY THIS WEEK.

ENTER MIAMI, DESPITE AN 0-1 RECORD, THIS TEAM IS NOT THE SAME TEAM THAT LOST TO CHICAGO ON OPENING NIGHT 29-19. SEVERAL RECENT ADDITIONS WILL SURELY BOLSTER THE DEFENSE WHILE THE OFFENSE WILL FEATURE THE DEADLIEST QUARTERBACK IN THE LEAGUE IN ANONKA DIXON WHO CAN BEAT YOU WITH HER FEET OR HER ARM. HOWEVER, IF MIAMI IS TO STAY IN THIS GAME AND COMPETE, HEAD COACH BOB HEWKO WHO LOVES THE AIR ASSAULT, WILL NEED TO RUN EFFECTIVELY TO OPEN UP THE BIG PLAY FOR DIXON. DEFENSIVELY, ONE OF THE KEY MATCH-UPS WILL INCLUDE MIAMI ALL-FANTASY LINEBACKER #20 TAIRA TURLEY VS. PHILLY RB LUSBY. MIAMI WILL HAVE TO CONTAIN LUSBY AND HOPE FOR SOME KEY TURNOVERS.

PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA  28    Miami 24

BETTING LINE: philadelphia -5    46 over/under

INJURIES: (MIAMI - DEANNA PERLOWIN - ACL - OUT)
(MIAMI - MEGAN MILLER - RUPTURED DISC - OUT)

VENUE: SOVEREIGN BANK ARENA (ARTIFICIAL TURF)