Week one winners clash in Berlin
March 21, 2006 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE first week of live action is in the record books and the six NFLEL head coaches now know a lot more about their respective teams.
What is not known at this early stage is who will emerge from the pack as the class of the league in 2006, advancing to battle in Yello Strom World Bowl XIV in Düsseldorf on Saturday May 27.
But one thing is certain - in a 10-week season, every game is vitally important and that means the stakes will be high this weekend, even though NFL Europe is only just entering its second round of games.
A pair of Week One winners will kick off the Week Two action as the Rhein Fire (1-0) travels to the German capital to take on the Berlin Thunder (1-0).
The action continues later on Saturday evening as the Frankfurt Galaxy (0-1) plays host to the Hamburg Sea Devils (0-1). Both clubs are coming off close losses on opening night.
On Sunday, the high-scoring Amsterdam Admirals (0-1) will aim to get their World Bowl defense back on track as they visit the Cologne Centurions (1-0).
WEEK TWO SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MARCH 25
Rhein Fire at Berlin Thunder
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 6:00 p.m.
Hamburg Sea Devils at Frankfurt Galaxy
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, 7:00 p.m.
SUNDAY MARCH 26
Amsterdam Admirals at Cologne Centurions
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, 4:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 1
OFFENSIVE - LANG CAMPBELL - QB, Berlin
Completed 61.5% of passes for 139 yards, 1 touchdown
DEFENSIVE - PHILIPPE GARDENT - LB, Cologne
Led team with 12 tackles
SPECIAL TEAMS - NORIAKI KINOSHITA - KR, Amsterdam
1 punt return 59 yards, 1 TD; 3 KO returns 56 yards
NATIONAL - JUAN WONG - WR, RHEIN
2 receptions for 66 yards, 1 touchdown
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 2
COVER STORY (continued)
After guiding his team to an all-important road victory in Amsterdam, Berlin Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ is aiming to build on that opening night success at home against the Rhein Fire.
He says: "It was a noisy and enthusiastic crowd in Amsterdam and we came away with a big win in a tough situation. I'm very pleased with the way we reacted in adverse situations. With this being the first game you never know how your players are going to react and we don't have the benefit of a lot of returning veterans like last year. We have a lot of corrections to be made, but we will all learn something from this."
Fresh from kicking off his head coaching career with a victory over Deutschland Derby rival Frankfurt, Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA prepares to face his old boss and says: "Our goal is to get better for the next game. There are things I have to do better as a coach. Any win is good but we have to have our players keep their composure and make plays."
Frankfurt Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES will be active and vocal on the practice field this week as he prepares his club for its home opener against Hamburg at Commerzbank Arena.
Following last weekend's loss at Rhein, the third-year coach says: "We didn't do well and we have to go back and look at some things. Our defense did a very good job but we didn't do enough offensively to help them. I'm not satisfied with that performance."
Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL will turn the screw on his team this week in a bid to even their record with a win in Frankfurt following last week's loss at home to Cologne.
He says: "It is very frustrating but this is the first one. With an opening loss that means you don't have very many games left to play with. It is very important that we come away with a win next week. I'm not as discouraged as you might think - I see signs of some things we are going to be able to do very well."
Despite his club's opening night loss at the hands of Berlin, Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS remains confident his players will respond in a positive manner.
He says: "I looked into their eyes in the locker room after the game and to a man they were looking back at me and saying, âWe're man enough to know we screwed it up and we'll turn this around.
"This is a mature team and they're very disappointed in themselves. I think they will bounce back from this. We just have to address the issues that will see us become the kind of team we hope to be."
Cologne's DAVID DUGGAN marked his head coaching debut with a win last week but is already looking ahead and says: "We have some areas in which we can improve but you take your win and know you have nowhere to go but up. It was great to win."
Lantz continues to cook up winning recipe for Thunder
AS he trotted off the field at a frozen Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday evening, Berlin Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ would have enjoyed a familiar and welcome feeling - the warm glow of NFL Europe League success.
In just his third season as an NFL Europe League head coach, Lantz has established a winning tradition that has already brought two World Bowl appearances and one championship.
Lantz has won 17 of 21 regular season games since taking charge of the Thunder in 2004. The next-fastest coach in NFLEL history to reach that win total was Amsterdam's Al Luginbill, who took 27 games between 1995-1997.
Here is a look at the all-time winning percentages of NFLEL head coaches who have coached in the league for more than one season.
Coach Win% Years WB wins
Rick Lantz (Ber 04-06) .809 3rd 1
Chan Gailey (Bir 91-92) .625 2 0
Galen Hall (Orl 92/Rhe 95-00) .600 7 2
Dick Curl (Fra 98-00) .567 3 1
Al Luginbill (Ams 95-00) .567 6 0
Lantz, who rates second all-time in winning percentage behind Larry Kennan (.900, London Monarchs 1991) needs one more regular season victory to break a tie with Dick Curl and take sole possession of eighth place in the all-time wins rankings.
The former New England Patriots assistant coach made his current crop of players aware of Berlin's winning tradition, admitting: "We never talk about the World Bowl. Our goal is to try to win each weekend and if we get enough of them we'll be in the championship game.
"But I have told the players that we haven't lost that many games in my two years here and I remember the losses a lot more than the wins."
NFLEL FACTS: No rust on us
There was to be no feeling their way into the new season for the Berlin Thunder as they recorded a 33-29 victory over the Amsterdam Admirals in Week One. At a time when most teams could be forgiven for shaking off the preseason rust, the Thunder were marching to touchdowns on their opening three possessions. They drove 74 yards in 12 plays as Little John Flowers scored on a 6-yard run, then marched 79 yards in 8 plays as Lang Campbell threw a 27-yard TD pass to Rich Musinski. Berlin then put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive that concluded with B.J. Symons firing a 9-yard TD strike to Lance Moore for a 20-0 lead.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 3
National players out to shine in 2006 after impressive Week 1
NATIONAL players from around the world will be looking to make a major impact in the NFL Europe League during the remaining weeks of the 2006 season after a strong showing on opening night.
For the first time in league history, three of the four Player of the Week prizes were awarded to national players.
French linebacker PHILIPPE GARDENT was named Defensive Player of the Week after recording 12 tackles to help the Cologne Centurions past the Hamburg Sea Devils.
Gardent says: "I did what I was supposed to do. I didn't miss any tackles or assignments and it feels great to get our first win."
Japanese wide receiver NORIAKI KINOSHITA scored on a 59-yard punt return during Amsterdam's loss to Berlin and added 1 reception for 13 yards and 56 kickoff return yards. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
Mexican wide receiver JUAN WONG scored on a 45-yard touchdown reception to lead the Rhein Fire to a 14-10 victory over the Frankfurt Galaxy and ended the night with 2 catches for 66 yards.
Wong says of the national players: "We are working hard to get our opportunity in pro football."
There were others making the most of their chance in Week One.
Berlin Thunder German defensive end CHRISTIAN MOHR returned an interception 34 yards, Admirals Swedish linebacker CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK made 6 tackles, while Fire veteran German safety RICHARD YANCY and Hamburg Sea Devils British linebacker ADEN DURDE also registered 6 stops each.
Speaking about Wong's touchdown catch and the performance of his national players, Rhein Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA says: "We have one team and they are from all over the world - we don't categorize them. I wasn't surprised that Juan Wong scored our only touchdown. I expect that from him."
NFL Director of International Player and Football Development TONY ALLEN, who is responsible for national player development, says: "Our expectations were high coming into this season as the national players as a group excelled in training camp.
"There is a great deal of talent in the national player program and these kinds of performances are what we would hope for during the remainder of the season. I expect the national players on all six NFL Europe League rosters to play major roles for their respective teams as the 2006 campaign progresses."
Winning the turnover battle remains crucial in NFL Europe
IT will come as no surprise to football purists that the three winning teams in Week One of the 2006 NFL Europe League season fared best in the turnover ratio department.
As is the case in the National Football League, taking care of the football remains paramount in terms of success in the NFL Europe League.
The Rhein Fire defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy on opening night after recovering 3 fumbles and not turning the ball over themselves to record a +3 turnover ratio. All 10 Fire points came off Frankfurt turnovers.
The Cologne Centurions - winners in Hamburg - came up with 5 turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery) and only gave up the football twice, giving them a +3 ratio.
During their victory over the Amsterdam Admirals, the Berlin Thunder produced 3 turnovers and only lost 1 fumble to finish with a +2 ratio. They also scored 17 points off Amsterdam turnovers.
After seeing his quarterbacks turn the football over three times, Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS said: "We cannot turn the football over that many times and have a legitimate chance to win. If you look at statistics over the years in the NFL and the NFL Europe League, the team that turns the football over the least wins the game."
For proof that Andrus is right, you only need to look at the World Bowl finalists in each of the last two years. The Berlin Thunder and Amsterdam Admirals ranked first and second respectively in turnover ratio in 2005 as did the Thunder and Frankfurt in 2004.
Following his team's loss in Düsseldorf, Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES said: "We ran the football well but you cannot turn it over and that is what we did."
NFLEL FACTS: Close calls
The opening three games of the 2006 NFL Europe League season were all decided by four-point margins. Close games are something of an NFL Europe League tradition. Of the 433 regular season games played since the league's launch in 1991, 233 (.535) have been decided by one score or less (8 points).
NFLEL FACTS:100-yard woes
Gaining 100 yards did not bode well for receivers and running backs in Week One. Frankfurt's Roger Robinson gained 103 rushing yards and Amsterdam's Skyler Fulton reeled in 6 passes for 131 yards and 1 touchdown but both ended on the losing side on Saturday night.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 4
Shivering crowds brave the cold as oldest of league records falls
THERE have been many occasions in NFL Europe League history when fans have soaked up the spring sunshine across the continent in T-shirts and shorts.
That was by no means the case in Week One of the 2006 campaign as two games were played in freezing conditions to break one of the oldest records in league history.
Prior to last weekend's matches, the coldest game in league history was played between the London Monarchs and Montreal Machine at Wembley Stadium, England, on April 20, 1991. The temperature that day was 3 degrees Centigrade.
When the Hamburg Sea Devils hosted the Cologne Centurions and the Berlin Thunder visited the Amsterdam Admirals on Saturday evening, the temperature gauge at both venues read 0 degrees Centigrade (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Still the fans flocked to the season-opening contests as more than 31,000 attended the coldest games in league history. An additional 22,827 fans saw the Rhein Fire defeat the Frankfurt Galaxy.
Amsterdam's figure of 16,341 was their second-largest gathering for a home opener, ranking behind the 22,614 who saw the Admirals defeat the Scottish Claymores 26-3 in their 1998 home opener.
Contrasting offenses on display
If their performances on opening day are anything to go by, the Cologne Centurions and Amsterdam Admirals will use contrasting ways to move the football when they meet in Week Two.
The Admirals rank first in NFL Europe with 285 passing yards, while the Centurions rate number one with 155 rushing yards.
Amsterdam's rushing attack is ranked sixth in the league (63 yards vs. Berlin), while the Centurions could only muster 101 passing yards at Hamburg to rate fifth in NFL Europe.
Talking about his strong running game, Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "Fred Russell and Alex Haynes ran pretty well and made a lot of people miss in key situations. The difference in the football game last week was that in the second half our offensive line played very well together and moved Hamburg's defensive front off the football."
Praising quarterbacks GIBRAN HAMDAN, REGGIE ROBERTSON and JARED ALLEN, Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "We have three very capable players at the quarterback position and we're fortunate to have a group as good as that."
Explosive Admirals show big-play potential on opening night
DESPITE finding themselves on the losing end of a 33-29 shootout in Week One, the Amsterdam Admirals showed they will be an exciting team to watch this season.
The Admirals produced four plays covering 50 or more yards on offense, defense and special teams. Their efforts accounted for four of the five plays in Week One which covered more than 40 yards.
Linebacker DERRICK BALLARD (Atlanta Falcons) scored on a league record 95-yard fumble return, Japanese special teamer NORIAKI KINOSHITA found the end zone on a 59-yard punt return and GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) connected with wide receivers CRAIG BRAGG (Chicago Bears) and SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) for gains of 56 and 54 yards respectively, the latter going for a touchdown.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "We didn't give up and we kept believing we had a chance to win. My players showed glimpses and flashes of what they're capable of."
Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ adds: "We didn't feel it was a game we could just sit on because the Admirals are so explosive."
The other big play in Week One saw Mexican wideout JUAN WONG catch a 45-yard scoring strike from fellow receiver CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) as the Rhein Fire squeezed past the Frankfurt Galaxy.
Friends re-unite in NFL Europe
PARTNERSHIPS built many years ago came to fruition in Week One of the 2006 NFL Europe League season as former high school and college teammates hooked up for touchdowns during the opening round of action.
In Hamburg, Sea Devils quarterback BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins) threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) to tie the scoring against the Cologne Centurions in the first period.
The pair played football together at Evangel Christian High School in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Berlin says: "Richard is a really good player and I think he will be excellent in this league."
In Amsterdam, Berlin Thunder quarterback LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) connected with his former William & Mary teammate RICH MUSINSKI (New England Patriots) to give his club an early 14-0 lead over the Admirals.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (0-1)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (23-28 in NFLEL,Plus 1-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Richard Kent/Rex Norris (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 57-54
MEDIA CONTACT: Perry Hendriks
Phone: 31-20-465-0550
Fax: 31-20-465-0555
E-mail: hendriksp@admirals.nl
Internet: www.admirals.nl
LAST GAME: Lost 29-33 vs. Berlin (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 29 pts/game; 348 yds/game (rank 1); 63 yds rush/game (rank 6); 285 yds pass/game (rank 1)
Passing: Gibran Hamdan, 246 yds
Rushing: Larry Croom, 34 yds
Receiving: Skyler Fulton, 6 rec, 131 yds
DEFENSE: 33 pts/game; 350 yds/game (rank 6); 123 rush yds/game (rank 4); 227 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: at COLOGNE CENTURIONS -
Head coach BART ANDRUS knows exactly how his team needs to improve if it is to repeat as World Bowl champion. He says: "We're going to get some things cleaned up - we will eliminate the penalties, tackle better and hold on to the football. It was obvious that what we did, we did to ourselves and we will fix it."... QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) is in his third season in NFL Europe. Threw for a league-high 246 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 meeting with Cologne last term... QB REGGIE ROBERTSON (Oakland Raiders) completed 4 of 6 passes for 39 yards with 1 interception last week... RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) marked his Admirals debut by scoring on a 2-yard run last week. Gained 34 rushing yards on 9 carries but lost a fumble... RB DIAMOND FERRI (Atlanta Falcons) rushed for 22 yards on 5 carries last week and added a 7-yard catch. Also ran back 3 kickoffs for 60 yards... WR CRAIG BRAGG (Chicago Bears) caught a 56-yard pass last week... WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe after catching 6 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown last week. Also reeled in a two-point conversion pass... WR CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers) caught 2 passes for 24 yards vs Berlin... WR VINCENT BUTLER (Green Bay Packers) grabbed 3 passes for 27 yards in Week 1... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA was named Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 59 yards for a touchdown. Added 3 kickoff returns for 56 yards, 1 reception for 13 yards and a 2-yard run... TE TORY HUMPHREY (Green Bay Packers) caught 2 passes for 12 yards last week with a long of 8... French TE YOAN SCHNEE caught a 10-yard pass against Berlin but suffered a broken arm... C TYLER LENDA anchored an Amsterdam offensive line that did not concede a sack on opening day... DE EARL COCHRAN is in his second season with the Admirals and recorded 5 tackles last week... DE
CLAUDE HARRIOTT was a fifth round draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 2004. Recorded 3 tackles in NFLEL debut last weekend... DT TONY BROWN (Carolina Panthers) played in 16 games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2004, starting four times and recording 27 tackles and 1 sack. Made 4 tackles in Amsterdam debut last week... DT JEREMY CAUDILL is in his second season with the Admirals and recorded 3 stops in Week 1... LB JEREMY CAIN (Chicago Bears) has played in eight regular season games for the Bears in 2004 and 2005, recording 8 tackles. Recorded 1 tackle and 1 pass defense last week... LB DERRICK BALLARD (Atlanta Falcons) scored on an NFLEL record 95-yard fumble return last week and added 5 tackles and 1 forced fumble... LB SHAWN MORGAN (Oakland Raiders) recorded 2 tackles in Week 1... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK began his second season with the Admirals by recording 6 tackles against Berlin... LB PHIL ARCHER (San Diego Chargers) recorded 4 tackles last week to kick off his second season with the Admirals... CB JUSTIN PERKINS (Kansas City Chiefs) notched 5 tackles last week... CB ABRAHAM ELIMIMIAN (Chicago Bears) registered 3 tackles and knocked down 1 pass in season opener... S ATARI BIGBY (Green Bay Packers) played in one regular season game with the Packers in 2005 and recorded 1 special teams tackle. Opened his NFLEL account with 7 tackles and 1 pass defended against Berlin... S COREY PEOPLES (Philadelphia Eagles) jointly led the Admirals with 7 tackles last week ... K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) is the all-time points leader in USC history, totalling 329 during his college career. Converted 3 PATs in NFLEL debut last week... P GLENN PAKULAK (Oakland Raiders) leads NFL Europe with a 44.0 punting average after covering 88 yards on his 2 kicks last week.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (1-0)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (17-4 in NFLEL, plus 1-1 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Charles âYogi' Jones (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 39-32
MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak
Phone: 49-30-300-644-00
Fax: 49-30-300-644-77
E-mail: maik.matischak@berlin-thunder.de
Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de
LAST GAME: Won 33-29 at Amsterdam (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 33 pts/game; 350 yds/game (rank 1); 123 rush yds/game (rank 3); 227 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Lang Campbell, 139 yds
Rushing: Marty Johnson, 58 yds
Receiving: Lance Moore, 5 rec, Rich Musinski, 71 yds
DEFENSE: 29 pts/game; 348 yds/game (rank 5); 63 rush yds/game (rank 1); 285 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: Anthony Floyd, Christian Mohr, Robert Redd, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs RHEIN FIRE -
Head coach RICK LANTZ is happy with the way his players held off a late Amsterdam charge on opening night, saying: "I was pleased with the way we played for most of the game. Before we went onto the field in Amsterdam, I told our players the game would not be won in the first, second or third quarters but in the fourth quarter."... QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) was named Offensive Player of Week 1 after hitting on 16 of 26 passes for 139 yards and 1 touchdown. His 88.5 rating leads all NFLEL starters... QB B.J. SYMONS (Chicago Bears) completed 6 of 13 passes for 88 yards and 2 scores in Thunder debut. Posted a QB rating of 108.3... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to begin his second season in Berlin. Added 1 reception for 13 yards. Scored 7 rushing touchdowns for the Thunder in 2005... RB MARTY JOHNSON gained 58 yards on 15 carries in Week 1 with a long of 18... FB JONATHAN EVANS (San Diego Chargers) caught 4 passes for 11 yards and a score last week... WR LANCE MOORE (New Orleans Saints) caught a school record 222 passes during college career at Toledo. Began NFLEL career by catching a team-high 5 passes for 44 yards and 1 touchdown in Amsterdam... WR KERON HENRY (San Diego Chargers) caught 3 passes for 48 yards last week and also threw an incomplete pass... WR RICH MUSINSKI (New England Patriots) set school records in every major receiving category at William & Mary, reeling in 224 passes for 4,168 yards and 31 touchdowns. Led Berlin in Week 1 with 71 receiving yards and 1 touchdown from 4 receptions... TE JASON RANDALL (Atlanta Falcons) caught 3 passes for 26 yards last week... TE BEN MOA played five games for Berlin in 2005 before injury cut short his season. Caught 10 passes for 104 yards... DE ELTON PATTERSON (Jacksonville Jaguars) played in eight regular season games for the Jaguars in 2004, recording 4 tackles and 1 sack... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR marked the start of a third season in Berlin by returning an interception 34 yards vs the Admirals... LB ANDRE
TORREY (Houston Texans) led the Thunder with 8 tackles in Week 1... LB MALCOM POSTELL (Pittsburgh Steelers) recorded 1 tackle last week... LB JERMAINE TAYLOR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 447 tackles during college career at Division III school Bridgewater. Opened his Thunder account with 3 tackles and 1 special teams stop... CB ROBERT REDD (Atlanta Falcons) played wide receiver in four regular season games for the Thunder in 2005. Caught 7 passes for 102 yards and 1 touchdown during World Bowl XIII. Made his debut at corrnerback last week and grabbed 1 interception for 9 yards, while adding 1 tackle. Added 2 kickoff returns for 43 yards and 1 punt return for 6 yards... CB JAMES THORNTON (Cleveland Browns) began his third season in NFL Europe by recording 2 tackles and 1 special teams takedown in Amsterdam... CB DUVOL THOMPSON (Baltimore Ravens) ranked second on Berlin's defense with 4 tackles on opening night... CB ANTWAUN ROGERS (Denver Broncos) recorded 4 tackles last week... S ANTHONY FLOYD (Houston Texans) registered 2 tackles and 1 interception for 35 yards last week... K XAVIER BEITIA (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads NFL Europe in scoring with 9 points after converting 2 of 2 field goals (36 long) and 3 PATs in Amsterdam... P BRIAN SIMNJANOVSKI (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) averaged 41.7 yards per punt last week, landing 1 of his 3 kicks inside the Admirals' 20-yard line.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-0)Head Coach: David Duggan (1st season asNFLEL head coach)Colours: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Milanovich (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 11-10
MEDIA CONTACT: Karsten Meier
Phone: 49-221-271-430
Fax: 49-221-271-43299
E-mail: Karsten.meier@cologne-centurions.de
Internet: www.cologne-centurions.de
LAST GAME: Won 14-10 at Hamburg (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 14 pts/game; 256 yds/game (rank 4); 155 rush yds/game (rank 1); 101 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Kliff Kingsbury, 75 yds
Rushing: Fred Russell, 85 yds
Receiving: Jamall Broussard, 4 rec, 31 yds
DEFENSE: 10 pts/game; 235 yds/game (rank 2); 106 rush yds/game (rank 2); 129 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: Kevin Curtis, David Bergeron, Thomas Houchin, Jonathan Pollard, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
The Centurions opened their 2006 season with a hard-fought road win in Hamburg, prompting head coach DAVID DUGGAN to say: "My dad was a high school coach and I've always been taught since a little kid that you take a win any way you can get it. We made too many mistakes but Hamburg made some as well. We can improve in some areas but we're happy."... QB KLIFF KINGSBURY (New York Jets) completed 9 of 16 passes for 75 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in NFLEL debut. Added 14 rushing yards... QB SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) hit on 5 of 9 attempts for 29 yards with 1 interception. Added 15 rushing yards on 2 carries ... RB FRED RUSSELL (St. Louis Rams) ranks second in NFLEL after rushing for 85 yards on 22 carries in Hamburg. Added 2 catches for 6 yards... RB ALEX HAYNES (Carolina Panthers) rushed for 41 yards on 14 carries at Hamburg and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run. Added a 15-yard catch... WR JAMALL BROUSSARD (Cincinnati Bengals) led the Centurions with 4 receptions for 31 yards in Week 1... WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE played for the Centurions in 2004 and caught 39 passes for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns. Added 1 catch for 13 yards last week... WR BRIAN BRATTON (Baltimore Ravens) caught 2 passes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown on opening night in Hamburg... WR MICHAEL GASPERSON (Philadelphia Eagles) caught a 10-yard pass last week... German TE WERNER HIPPLER set a new league mark when he played in his 88th game on opening weekend, breaking a tie with former Scottish Claymores wide receiver Scott Couper (Scotland 1995-2001, 2003-2004). Has caught 88 passes for 908 yards and 3 touchdowns during his career... TE MARIO JACKSON caught 3 passes for 16 yards last week... DE OMAR NAZEL recorded 2 tackles and recovered a fumble last week to begin his second season with the Centurions... DE ALAIN KASHAMA (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 1 tackle last week... DT BRYAN SAVE registered 1
tackle before suffering a knee injury... DE THOMAS HOUCHIN recorded 5 tackles and grabbed an interception... DT ARRION DIXON (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 3 tackles in season-opening defeat of Hamburg... LB DAVID BERGERON (Carolina Panthers) made 1 tackle and added an interception last week... LB JONATHAN POLLARD (San Diego Chargers) notched 1 tackle, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble in Week 1... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT became the first national player to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading the Centurions with 12 tackles in Hamburg... CB LANCE FRAZIER (Seattle Seahawks) played in 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, recording 40 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 6 passes defended. Averaged 9.5 yards on 24 punt returns. Opened his account in Cologne with 4 tackles... CB MARK ESTELLE (Houston Texans) recorded 1 tackle and 1 pass defended in opening day win over Hamburg... S RAYMOND VENTRONE (New England Patriots) recorded 4 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week... S KEVIN CURTIS (Houston Texans) was a fourth round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 2002. Recorded 4 tackles, 2 pass defenses and 1 interception for 24 yards last week... K TIM DUNCAN (Oakland Raiders) played in six games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2003, converting 6 of 10 field goals with a long of 53 yards. Missed his only field goal attempt in Week 1 from 40 yards out. Converted 2 PATs... P GABE LINDSTROM (Seattle Seahawks) punted a league-high 5 times for a 36-yard average last week.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (0-1)Head Coach: Mike Jones (10-11) in NFLEL, plus 0-1 in World Bowl.Colours: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O'Neil (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 68-63
MEDIA CONTACT: Joachim Haas
Phone: 49-69-978-2790
Fax: 49-69-978-279099
E-mail: joachim.haas@frankfurt-galaxy.
Internet: www.frankfurt-galaxy.de
LAST GAME: Lost 6-10 at Rhein (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 6 pts/game; 188 yds/game (rank 6); 135 rush yds/game (rank 2); 53 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Bryson Spinner, 34 yds
Rushing: Roger Robinson, 103 yds
Receiving: Adam Herzing, 2 rec, 28 yards
DEFENSE: 10 pts/game; 256 yds/game (rank 3=); 114 rush yds/game (rank 3); 142 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Jerome Nichols, 2.0
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: vs HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
Head coach MIKE JONES is looking for a big improvement for the Galaxy's home opener against Hamburg after his team gave up three fumbles against Rhein. âOur defense did a good job last week but we did not do enough offensively to help them. We have to look at some things and work hard, but you have got to hold on to the ball if you are going to win games."... QB JEFF OTIS (Arizona Cardinals) started in Week 1, completing 4 of 8 passes for 19 yards in first-quarter action... QB BRYSON SPINNER (San Francisco 49ers) saw most of the playing time against Rhein, entering the game in the second quarter and completing 4 of 14 passes for 34 yards. He also rushed for 27 yards on 4 carries... RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) achieved the rare NFLEL distinction of rushing for 100 yards and ending up on the losing Galaxy team (Galaxy had been 13-1 in games with a 100-yard rusher before last week). He rushed 26 times for 103 yards, but also lost 2 of his 3 fumbles... RB J.R. NIKLOS gained 5 yards on 2 carries last week and caught 2 passes for 6 yards. Scored one of his 3 TDs in 2005 against Hamburg... WR AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings) caught 7 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown against Hamburg in Week 10 last season. He had a 10-yard catch in this year's opening game... WR ADAM HERZING (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught 2 passes for 26 yards in Week 1... WR TOM CROWDER (Dallas Cowboys) had 1 reception for 5 yards last week... WR WALTER YOUNG (Pittsburgh Steelers) began the season with 1 catch for 4 yards last week... DE JEROME NICHOLS (Green Bay Packers) was the only man in the NFLEL to post 2 sacks in Week 1, registering 4 tackles in total... DE JOSH COOPER jointly led the Galaxy with 6 tackles in Week 1... DE
JUSTIN BROWN (Indianapolis Colts) had 3 tackles and 1 sack against Rhein in Week 1... German DT DANIEL BENETKA is in his sixth NFLEL season having last played for Frankfurt in 2004... LB MATT SINCLAIR (Miami Dolphins) recorded 5 tackles in Week 1... LB TRAVIS HARRIS posted 6 tackles last week... LB MATT FARRIOR (Pittsburgh Steelers) was in on 4 tackles against Rhein... CB LENNY WILLIAMS (Dallas Cowboys) made 3 tackles in Week 1... CB BILL ALFORD was joint team leader with 6 tackles against the Fire... S ROB LEE (Buffalo Bills) posted 3 tackles last week... K DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) accounted for Frankfurt's points in Week 1, making 2 of 3 FGs, hitting from 36 and 49 yards and missing from 34... P MIKE BARR (Pittsburgh Steelers) began his third Galaxy season by averaging 40.7 yards on 3 attempts.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-1)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (66-65 in NFLEL, 2-5 in post-season)Colours: Dark blue, teal, red
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 5-6
MEDIA CONTACT: Thomas Bothstede
Phone: 49-407-525-590
Fax: 49-407-525-5959
E-mail: pr@hamburg-seadevils.de
Internet: www.hamburg-seadevils.de
LAST GAME: Lost 10-14 vs Cologne (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 10 pts/game; 235 yds/game (rank 5); 135 rush yds/game (rank 2); 129 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Brock Berlin, 129 yds
Rushing: Mike Jemison, 80 yds
Receiving: Richard Smith, 3 rec, 76 yds
DEFENSE: 14 pts/game; 256 yds/game (rank 4); 155 rush yds/game (rank 6); 101 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: Shawn Mayer, Vontez Duff, 1
- THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY -
Veteran head coach JACK BICKNELL saw his team struggle during an opening day loss to Cologne but insists: "I leave this game frustrated but not really discouraged. I think we have enough talent at quarterback, running back and receiver to be a pretty good team."... QB BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins) completed 10 of 25 passes for 129 yards and 1 touchdown but was intercepted 3 times... QB JAMES KILIAN (Kansas City Chiefs) was a seventh round draft choice of the Chiefs in 2005. He failed to connect on 7 pass attempts last week and threw 1 interception... Speaking about his quarterbacks, Bicknell says: "We have a chance to be a lot better. I talked to Brock Berlin after the game and said, âWhatever you do, stay aggressive. Stay aggressive and confident and it will work out.' I sincerely believe that."... RB MIKE JEMISON (Pittsburgh Steelers) rushed for a team-high 80 yards on 18 carries and added 3 catches for 32 yards... RB JIMMY DIXON (Seattle Seahawks) gained 26 yards on 7 carries last week... English WR SCOTT McCREADY is in his fifth NFLEL season. His 143 career receptions rank first among national players and third all-time. His 1,607 receiving yards rank first among nationals and third overall. Caught 2 passes for 14 yards last week and needs 14 receptions to move into second place on the all-time catches list... WR RICKY BRYANT did not catch a pass last week... WR RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) led the Sea Devils with 3 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown last week... TE KORI DICKERSON (Detroit Lions) caught 2 passes for 7 yards last weekend. Is in his second season in NFL Europe having played for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2003... Norwegian DE ANDERS AKERSTROM recorded 3 tackles last week... DE SCOTT SCHARFF (San Francisco 49ers) registered 1 tackle in his NFLEL debut last weekend... DT KEYONTA MARSHALL (Philadelphia Eagles) recorded 7 tackles and 1 sack against Cologne last week... German DT BASTIAN LANO recorded 2 tackles in Week 1... LB KRIS GRIFFIN (Kansas City Chiefs)
led the Sea Devils with 7 tackles and 1 pass defense last week... LB BYRON HARDMON recorded 6 tackles against his old team last week after playing for Cologne in 2004... English LB ADEN DURDE is in his second season in Hamburg and recorded 6 tackles last week... LB SCOTT GENORD notched 5 tackles last week... CB ERIC HILL (Indianapolis Colts) made 5 tackles last week... CB VONTEZ DUFF (New York Giants) was a sixth round draft choice of the Houston Texans in 2004. Registered 3 tackles and 1 interception vs Cologne and added 2 kickoff returns for 55 yards... CB RAYSHUN REED played seven games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2004 and registered 6 tackles. Made 2 tackles and added 1 sack last week. Added 1 punt return for 10 yards... S SHAWN MAYER (Cleveland Browns) earned All-NFLEL honors with Hamburg in 2005. Made 4 tackles, knocked down 2 passes and 1 interception last week... German S CLAUDIUS OSEI spent 2005 on the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is back for a second season in Hamburg. Recorded 5 tackles last week... S JASON SHIVERS (New York Giants) made 2 tackles last weekend... K TYLER JONES (Washington Redskins) converted his lone field goal attempt from 32 yards last week and added 1 PAT... P ADAM ANDERSON (Detroit Lions) punted 3 times for a 41-yard average in Week 1
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (1-0)Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (1st season asNFLEL head coach)Colours: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Logan (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 59-52 (3-7 in 2005)
MEDIA CONTACT: Markus Müller
Phone: 49-211-478-730
Fax: 49-211-478-7329
E-mail: markus.mueller@rhein-fire.de
Internet: www.rhein-fire.de
LAST GAME: Won 10-16 vs Frankfurt (3/18/06)
OFFENSE: 10 pts/game; 256 yds/game (rank 4=); 114 rush yds/game (rank 4); 142 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Timmy Chang, 59 yds
Rushing: Jacque Lewis, 56 yards
Receiving: Fredrick Jackson, 4 rec; Juan Wong, 66 yds
DEFENSE: 6 pts/game; 188 yds/game (rank 1); 135 rush yds/game (rank 5); 53 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER -
Head coach JIM TOMSULA is not getting carried away with a Week 1 victory in his head coaching debut. He says: "Winning one game doesn't mean a lot for the next game. Our strength is our players playing as a team and working hard. That has to keep getting stronger and we have to keep working to be perfect."... QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys) started in Week 1, completing 5 of 11 passes for 58 yards... QB TIMMY CHANG (Philadelphia Eagles) saw action in the season opener, hitting on 6 of 13 passes for 59 yards... RB JACQUE LEWIS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) led the Fire with 56 yards on 17 rushes in Week 1 and added 68 yards on 2 kick returns... RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills) led the Fire with 4 catches for 40 yards in Week 1 and gained 48 yards on 12 carries... WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) threw a 45-yard TD pass on a fake reverse on the Fire's first play of the season. He also had a 16-yard reception... WR ZURIEL SMITH (New England Patriots) had 2 receptions for 20 yards last week... Mexican WR JUAN WONG caught a 45-yard TD pass on his first play as a professional football player. "I didn't realize was open. I just saw the ball and caught it - that is what I do for a living now," he said. He finished with a team-high 66 yards on 2 catches... TE ANDY STOKES caught 1 pass for 5 yards last week... TE AARON HALTERMAN (Houston Texans) caught 2 passes for 15 yards in Week 1... DE DERRICK STRONG started his
second season with the Fire with 4 tackles... DE WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) posted 3 tackles in Week 1... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON opened his third season with the Fire with 3 tackles... LB TYSON SMITH (New York Giants) was joint team leader with 6 sacks last week... LB GUY TUELL made 3 tackles in the season opener... CB RONYELL WHITAKER posted 5 tackles and a fumble recovery in Week 1... German S RICHARD YANCY began his seventh season in NFL Europe, fifth with the Fire, by recording a joint team-high 6 tackles against the Galaxy... S SIDDEEQ SHABAZZ (Miami Dolphins) recorded 5 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in Week 1... S MITCH MEEUWSEN (San Diego Chargers) had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Week 1... Swedish K OLA KIMRIN began his fourth NFLEL season (Frankfurt 2001-02, Cologne 2004) by making 1 of 4 FG attempts in Week 1 and kicking a PAT. Has scored 131 career points in NFL Europe... P TRAVIS DORSCH (New York Giants), the 2005 All-NFLEL selection, averaged 40.7 yards on 3 punts in Week 1.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 11
RHEIN FIRE (1-0) at
BERLIN THUNDER (1-0)
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Saturday March 25, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Series tied 7-7 (Berlin leads 1-0 in World Bowls)
At Berlin: Berlin leads 5-2
At Rhein: Rhein leads 5-2
Streak: Berlin 4
Last season: Berlin 30 at Rhein 28; Rhein 15 at Berlin 24
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/ NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday March 25)
NFL Network lead host RICH EISEN will handle play-by-play duties, while former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back ROD WOODSON provides the color analysis.
COACHES
JIM TOMSULA won his opening game as an NFLEL head coach last week. Spent the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder and won a World Bowl ring in 2004. Served as defensive line coach at the Scottish Claymores from 1999-2003 and made his NFLEL coaching debut with the England Monarchs in 1998... RICK LANTZ has a winning percentage of .809 (17-4) - the highest of any coach who has been in charge of a team for more than one season and ranks second all-time behind Larry Kennan's .900 (9-1 with London Monarchs in 1991). Needs one more win to break a tie for eighth place on the all-time victories chart, having drawn level with Dick Curl (Frankfurt 1998-2000) with 17 last week.
GAME NOTES
Berlin has won 10 of its last 11 games on home soil with the lone defeat at Olympic Stadium coming against Cologne in Week 10 of the 2005 season, when the Thunder had already booked a World Bowl berth... Berlin has played in four of the last five World Bowls, lifting the league championship trophy in 2001, 2002 and 2004... Under Rick Lantz, the Thunder has won 17 of its last 21 regular season games and has won back-to-back regular season titles... Last weekend saw the Thunder win on opening day for the third year in a row - prior to Lantz's arrival, the club had never won a Week One contest... Rhein Fire heads into the Week Two meeting boasting NFL Europe's top-ranked defense, allowing Frankfurt to gain just 188 total yards last weekend... Berlin has NFL Europe's leading attack, scoring a league-high 33 points and gaining 350 total yards at Amsterdam... Berlin was one of four teams not to allow a sack in Week One. The Fire gave up a league-high 3 sacks... Rhein leads NFL Europe with a +3 turnover ratio (3 takeaways and no giveaways) and scored all 10 of its points in Week One defeat of Frankfurt off turnovers... Berlin ranks third with a +2 ratio (3 takeaways, 1 giveaway) and scored 17 points off turnovers on opening night... Berlin had a league-leading 3 offensive plays covering more than 20 yards in Week One...The Thunder leads NFL Europe in time of possession, keeping the ball for 39:44 at Amsterdam... Berlin also leads NFL Europe in third down efficiency (50.0%), having converted 8 of 16 attempts... Berlin was the least penalized team in Week One, drawing just 3 flags. Rhein was flagged a league-high 9 times for 106 yards... Rhein averaged 13.5 yards per completion last week to rank second in NFL Europe... The Fire defense recovered a league-best 3 fumbles vs Frankfurt last week... Rhein's defense conceded a league-low 6 points in the opening round of action... The Fire was one of only two teams not to fumble in Week One - the other was the Cologne Centurions... Berlin's defense allowed a league-high 15.8 yards per pass completion last week but did hold the Admirals to an NFLEL-low 63 rushing yards... Both teams scored on their opening drives of the new season last week - Berlin on a 6-yard run by LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS and Rhein on a 45-yard reception from JUAN WONG.
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-1)
at FRANKFURT GALAXY (0-1)
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, Saturday March 25, 7 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Hamburg leads 2-0
At Frankfurt: Hamburg leads 1-0
At Hamburg: Hamburg leads 1-0
Streak: Hamburg 2
Last Season: Hamburg 30 at Frankfurt 10; Frankfurt 15 at Hamburg 17
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/ NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: DELAY/NASN Europe (8:00 p.m. CET, Thursday March 30)
Play-by-play announcer MIKE COREY is joined by Danish kicker MORTEN ANDERSEN, who scored an NFL record 2,358 points with New Orleans, Atlanta, New York Giants, Kansas City and Minnesota.
COACHES
JACK BICKNELL is the only man in NFLEL history to coach three different teams. After 11 seasons at Barcelona and one year each with the Scotland (2004) and Hamburg (2005) heads into 2006 looking to add to his league-leading regular season victory total of 66... MIKE JONES is in his third season in NFL Europe. Led the Galaxy to a World Bowl appearance in 2004. Served as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff from 1995-2000 and again in 2002-2003, winning World Bowls in 1998 and 2000. Played wide receiver in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings (1983-1985) and New Orleans Saints (1986-1987 and 1989).
GAME NOTES
The Galaxy will be looking to find some winning form as they head into their home opener. Although they have qualified for two of the last three World Bowls, winning a league record-tying third title in 2003, they have lost 10 of their last 13 games dating back to Week 10 of the 2004 season, including a World Bowl XII loss to Berlin in 2004... Both clubs are coming off opening weekend losses. Hamburg scored 10 points at home against Cologne, while the Galaxy could only manage a league-low 6 points at Rhein... Both teams struggled to throw the football in Week One. Hamburg completed a league-low 31.3% of their passes and tossed a league-high 4 interceptions. Frankfurt ranked fifth in NFLEL with a completion percentage of 36.4 and sixth with a yards-per-completion average of 6.6... The good news is that both clubs did not allow a QB sack in Week One... Frankfurt fared much better on the ground, averaging a league-best 4.2 yards per rush in Week One... The Sea Devils ranked second in that department averaging 4.1 yards per carry... Frankfurt fumbled a league-high 4 times in Week One and lost 3... Frankfurt ranked second in fewest penalties committed on opening night, getting flagged 5 times for 35 yards... The Galaxy was the only team in Week One not to produce an offensive play covering 20+ yards... Both clubs have a -3 turnover ratio after last week's games. Frankfurt had 0 takeaways and 3 giveaways, while Hamburg produced 2 turnovers but gave up 4 interceptions and 1 fumble... In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, Hamburg dominated en route to a 30-10 victory. QB CASEY BRAMLET (Cincinnati Bengals) earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 264 yards and 1 touchdown... In the return leg in Hamburg, relied on two big plays to record a 17-15 win as DT AARON HUNT (Denver Broncos) returned a blocked field goal 85 yards for a touchdown and WR TERRANCE METCALF (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) scored on a 95-yard reception.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK ONE RECAP NFL Europe 2006, Week 2 - Page 12
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (0-1)
at COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-0)
RheinEnergieStadion, Sunday, March 26, 4:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Amsterdam leads 4-0
At Cologne: Amsterdam leads 2-0
At Frankfurt: Amsterdam leads 2-0
Streak: Amsterdam 4
Last season: Amsterdam 37 at Cologne 24; Cologne 12 at Amsterdam 30
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/NFL Network (LIVE/9:00 a.m. ET)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: DELAY/NASN Europe (8:00 p.m. CET, Friday March 31)
Play-by-play announcer RICH EISEN is joined by former Philadelphia, Minnesota and Miami wide receiver CRIS CARTER.
COACHES
BART ANDRUS is the reigning NFL Europe League Coach of the Year. Is in his sixth season in charge of the Admirals. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000. Served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans in 1999, helping Steve McNair lead the club to a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV... DAVID DUGGAN spent the past two years as Cologne's defensive coordinator. His unit led NFL Europe in total defense in each of the last two seasons. Served as defensive coordinator of Berlin from 2001 to 2003, during which time he won two World Bowl rings.
GAME NOTES
The Admirals head into Cologne riding a four-game winning streak in the series having never lost to the Centurions... Cologne opened the 2006 season with a win in Hamburg and has now won 4 of its last 6 games dating back to Week 6 of the 2005 campaign... Both teams finished with identical 6-4 records in 2005 but the Admirals advanced to World Bowl having a better head-to-head record against the Centurions... Cologne ran the ball more times than any other team in Week One (41 rushes for a league-high 155 yards). The Admirals had the fewest rushing attempts for the fewest yards (16 for 63 yards)... The Admirals boast the league's leading passing attack, gaining 285 yards at an average of 15.8 yards-per-completion vs Berlin... The Admirals rank sixth in time of possession (20:16) but still ranked second in points scored with 29... The Admirals produced four plays covering +50 yards in Week One (56-yard pass, 54-yard pass, 59-yard punt return and 95-yard fumble return). Three of those plays resulted in touchdowns and the fourth set up a touchdown... Cologne ranks second in total defense, allowing 235 yards at Hamburg... The Centurions held Hamburg passers to a league-low 31.3 completion percentage... The Admirals threw the football on 81.9% of their offensive plays. The Centurions ran the football on 60.5% of their offensive plays... Cologne gave up 2 quarterback sacks in Week One... The Admirals threw 3 interceptions last week - the second-highest figure in NFL Europe... The Centurions jointly lead NFL Europe with a +3 turnover ratio after coming up with a league-best 5 turnovers at Hamburg... Amsterdam leads NFL with a pass completion percentage of 58.1. Cologne ranks second in that department with 56.0%... Admirals QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in first meeting with Cologne last season... In second encounter in 2005, the Admirals relied on big plays to secure a 30-12 win as CB B.J. TUCKER (Seattle Seahawks) scored on a 31-yard interception return and CB JEFF SANCHEZ (Detroit Lions) returned a blocked field goal 56 yards for a score. RB JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) added a 26-yard TD run.
- WEEK ONE RECAP -
Cologne Centurions 14, Hamburg Sea Devils 10
(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 15,243)
Fred Russell (Col) 85 rushing yards
Philippe Gardent (Col) 12 tackles
Mike Jemison (Ham) 80 rushing yards, 32 rec yards
Richard Smith (Ham) 3 rec, 76 yards, 1 TD
Berlin Thunder 33, Amsterdam Admirals 29
(Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Attendance: 16,341)
Gibran Hamdan (Ams) 246 passing yards, 1 TD
Skyler Fulton (Ams) 6 rec 131 yards, 1 TD
Lang Campbell (Ber) 139 passing yards, 1 TD
B.J. Symons (Ber) 88 passing yards, 2 TD
Frankfurt Galaxy 6, Rhein Fire 10
(LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Attendance: 22,827)
Juan Wong (Rhe) 2 rec, 66 yards, 1 TD
Fredrick Jackson (Rhe) 48 rushing yards, 40 rec yards
Roger Robinson (Fra) 103 rushing yards
Jerome Nichols (Fra) 2 sacks
- RED ZONE STATISTICS - 2006 -
OFFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Cologne 2 2 100.0 0 0.0 100.0
Berlin 6 3 50.0 2 33.3 83.3
Frankfurt 2 0 0.0 1 50.0 50.0
Amsterdam 2 1 50.0 0 50.0 50.0
Rhein 2 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
Hamburg 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
DEFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Frankfurt 2 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
Cologne 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
Rhein 2 0 0.0 1 50.0 50.0
Berlin 2 1 50.0 0 0.0 50.0
Amsterdam 6 3 50.0 2 33.3 83.3
Hamburg 2 2 100.0 0 0.0 100.0
National Football League Europa Stories from March 21, 2006
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