The Chicago Rush will host the New Orleans VooDoo Sunday in the first-ever meeting of the two teams. The VooDoo were an Arena Football League expansion team last year and surprised everyone by taking the Southern Division crown. They come to Chicago with a 5-2 record and a share of the Southern Division lead.

In the VooDoo, the Rush will face one of the league’s more potent offenses. QB Andy Kelly leads the AFL in passing attempts (314), completions (209), yards (2,106) and touchdowns (43). His favorite target has been OS Aaron Bailey, who comes in to the game with 15 receiving touchdowns and one on the ground. But the Rush cannot afford to focus on Bailey, as VooDoo WR/LB Thabati Davis connected with Kelly for five touchdowns when the two visited Chicago last season as members of the now-defunct Detroit Fury.

The VooDoo are coming off a tough 63-52 home loss to Southern Division rival Orlando Predators in which they turned the ball over three times. Nonetheless, Rush head coach Mike Hohensee is prepared for a difficult contest. Of the VooDoo, Hohensee said, "There are no weaknesses. They don’t make a lot of mistakes."

In addition to the loss, the VooDoo also came away with a lot of bumps and bruises that limited practice time for many players this week. They are particularly hurting on the offensive line.

The Rush are no strangers to injury problems, as QB Raymond Philyaw continues to nurse an ailing knee. He participated in practice this week, but his status will likely be a game-time decision once again. If Philyaw is still not ready, backup QB Todd Hammel will hope to put on another strong performance. Hammel was the AFL’s top passer in week 7 as he led the Rush to a 48-45 victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage.

While Chicago is enjoying a two-game winning streak, the victories came at the expense of weak teams. Sunday’s game against the VooDoo will give Rush fans a more accurate picture of their team’s chances for success in the second half of the season. Things don’t get any easier for the Rush in coming weeks. After a bye week, they will face the Eastern Division leading New York Dragons, defending AFL champs San Jose Sabercats, and tough Central Division rival Colorado Crush.

Watch the Rush face the VooDoo Sunday at 11:00 a.m. on NBC-5, or listen on 105.9 FM WCKG. Count on ChicagoSportsDay.com for a complete game report on Monday morning.