
Everything To Play For As Season Approaches Halfway Mark
May 8, 2007 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE 2007 NFL Europa season reaches the halfway mark this weekend and there is little separating the leading contenders as the race to reach Yello Strom World Bowl XV in Frankfurt on Saturday, June 23 intensifies.
Five teams are separated by just one game and that makes every single weekend in NFL Europa a nerve-tingling affair for players, coaches and fans.
The all-important Week 5 action kicks off on Saturday, May 12 as the Amsterdam Admirals (2-2) - winners of their last two contests - head on the road to take on a Hamburg Sea Devils (2-2) club that evened its record last weekend.
Deutschland Derby rivals clash later on Saturday as the Rhein Fire (1-3) plays host to a Frankfurt Galaxy (3-1) club that still tops the standings despite suffering their first loss of the season at Amsterdam last week.
The final game of the weekend takes place on Sunday, May 13 and sees a rematch between the Cologne Centurions (2-2) and Berlin Thunder (2-2).
When the two clubs met last weekend, the Centurions jumped out to a 21-0 lead only to see the Thunder bounce back to record a 31-28 win.
WEEK FIVE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MAY 12
Amsterdam Admirals at Hamburg Sea Devils
AOL Arena, Hamburg, 6:00 p.m.
Frankfurt Galaxy at Rhein Fire
LTU arena, Düsseldorf, 7:00 p.m.
SUNDAY MAY 13
Cologne Centurions at Berlin Thunder
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 4:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 4
OFFENSIVE - CASEY BRAMLET - QB, Hamburg
Completed 18 of 27 passes for 220 yards and 3 TDs; Compiled a passer rating of 113.2
DEFENSIVE - GARY GIBSON - DT, Hamburg
Recorded 4 tackles and 3 sacks for 24 yards;
Added 2 quarterback hurries and 1 forced fumble
SPECIAL TEAMS - CHRIS BARCLAY - KR, Berlin
Returned 5 kickoffs for 180 yards (36.0 average)
Scored on a 99-yard kickoff return
NATIONAL - SCOTT McCREADY - WR, Hamburg
Caught 8 passes for 99 yards and 1 touchdown
Registered 200th reception of NFLE career
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 2
(Cover story Continued...)
After seeing his club bounce back from an 0-2 start to record consecutive victories in Weeks 3 and 4, Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS is in an aggressive mood as he prepares to take on the Hamburg Sea Devils.
He says: "I'm never scared during a game. I don't think about holding back and worrying about if I'm going to lose the game. We are always going to call plays and do things on defense that are going to help us win the game."
The Sea Devils got themselves back into the thick of the World Bowl race with last weekend's defeat of Rhein and head coach VINCE MARTINO is looking for a consistent run from his team as they get set to host the Admirals.
"We've got Amsterdam coming in this week and we just have to take them one at a time," he says. "We got ourselves in a good position by beating Berlin and then we lost to Frankfurt. We are now in a position to make a charge and have to keep winning. We want the pressure that comes with that - this is where we think we should be."
The first meeting between fierce rivals Frankfurt and Rhein in 2007 sees both clubs enter the Deutschland Derby contest having suffered losses in Week 4.
Fire head coach RICK LANTZ saw his team struggle in Hamburg last week and says: "The Sea Devils outplayed us in all phases of the game and made more plays than we did. We didn't play well enough to win and it was just one of those days."
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES saw his team fall 19-0 behind in Amsterdam before coming up two points short in a brave comeback attempt.
He says: "It wasn't too hard to motivate the guys when we were 19-0 down. A big part of it is that you have to go out and defend your pride. And I think we did that. We just didn't quite match Amsterdam's intensity. They got off the bus ready to play."
Cologne Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN will be hoping for a 60-minute performance from his team when they meet the Berlin Thunder for the second week in a row having blown a 21-0 lead en route to a 31-28 defeat last weekend.
He says: "To be 21-0 up and then to crumble in every phase of the game was embarrassing. I think it is better when you play a team the second time around. We'll blow this one up and have a good week of practice."
Victorious Thunder head coach JOHN ALLEN says: "That was a huge win for us on the road. Now we are 2-2 instead of 1-3. We just kept plugging away and tried to stick to our game plan as much as we could. I told the team to keep pressing and not to worry about the scoreboard. We were fortunate to come out on top because Cologne is a good football team."
Stakes high as fierce rivals resume battle in Düsseldorf
THE most storied rivalry in NFL Europa League history resumes this weekend as the Rhein Fire plays host to the Frankfurt Galaxy at Düsseldorf's LTU arena on Saturday.
And the stakes are high for both clubs as they enter the meeting at opposite ends of the NFL Europa table after four weeks of play.
With four teams breathing down their necks with 2-2 records, the 3-1 Galaxy will be keen to stay ahead of the chasing pack with a win at Rhein.
Meanwhile, the Fire players and coaches know they must win against their old rivals in order to avoid dropping to 1-4 at the season's halfway mark.
Fire head coach RICK LANTZ says: "We didn't play well against Hamburg but we'll fight and rise up to play Frankfurt next week."
The Fire and Galaxy have played in some of the most memorable games in NFL Europa history.
Rhein defeated Frankfurt in World Bowl '98 but the Galaxy gained championship game revenge by beating the Fire in World Bowl XI in 2003.
And in 2002, the teams played in front of the largest regular season crowd in NFL Europa history as 58,572 fans packed into Frankfurt's Waldstadion to see the Fire record a 3-0 victory that booked their berth in World Bowl X.
Describing the rivalry between the two teams, Galaxy German defensive tackle DANIEL BENETKA says: "This is an intense rivalry. Every game in NFL Europa counts so I play hard in all of them. But I am just a little more fired up when facing the Rhein Fire because I know the fans and players don't like us."
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES adds: "We will be talking to our players about what a victory against the Fire means to our fans."
Thunder produces in final period
As they showed by scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns in last week's comeback at Cologne, the Berlin Thunder is adept at putting points on the board in the final period.
Berlin leads NFL Europa with a total of 28 fourth quarter points, while Hamburg ranks second with 23. Cologne is third with 17 final period points, ahead of Frankfurt (13), Amsterdam (7) and Rhein (3).
Speaking about Berlin's fourth quarter comeback at Cologne, defensive end DAVE TOLLEFSON (Oakland Raiders) says: "We went full steam ahead and said we're either going to win the game, or we're going to die trying. I was really proud of the guys on both sides of the ball and on special teams."
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 3
Quarterbacks on the money
WEEK 4 of the NFL Europa season proved to be a good one for the men under center as four quarterbacks posted a passer rating of more than 100.
And every starting quarterback threw at least one touchdown pass as footballs filled the air across the league last weekend.
Here is a list of 100-point passers in Week 4:
Player/Team Rating
Erik Meyer (Col) 136.9
Casey Bramlet (Ham) 113.2
Cody Pickett (Rhe) 105.9
Travis Lulay (Ber) 101.1
Cologne Centurions quarterback ERIK MEYER was the highest-rated passer in Week 4 as he compiled a rating of 136.9.
Meyer hit on his first 10 passes and ended the day against the Berlin Thunder having completed 15 of 21 attempts for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
His opponent that day, Thunder quarterback TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks), completed 17 of 26 passes for 218 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a rating of 101.1.
Hamburg Sea Devils quarterback CASEY BRAMLET (Washington Redskins) compiled a rating of 113.2 while leading his team to a 34-9 victory over the Rhein Fire.
Bramlet completed 18 of 27 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Sea Devils head coach VINCE MARTINO says: "Casey is a very productive quarterback and he had a very productive day. He managed the offense perfectly and really helped us keep our rhythm for the whole game."
Rhein Fire quarterback CODY PICKETT, a former NFL starter with the San Francisco 49ers, posted a rating of 105.9 during his team's loss at Hamburg as he hit on 16 of 21 attempts for 123 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
The other starting quarterbacks to throw touchdown passes in Week 4 were Frankfurt's J.T. O'SULLIVAN (Chicago Bears), who leads NFL Europa with a rating of 104.7, and Amsterdam's DREW OLSON (Baltimore Ravens), who leads the league with six touchdown passes on the season.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS paid tribute to his quarterback after he led Amsterdam to victory over the Galaxy, saying: "Drew is coming along at a good pace. His confidence is getting built up and he doesn't let things bother him. That says a lot about the leadership that he has and he will have a breakout game sooner rather than later."
You again? Berlin and Cologne meet for second time in a week
THE bumps and bruises, the thrill of victory and the pain of defeat will still be fresh on the bodies and minds of the Berlin Thunder and Cologne Centurions when they meet for the second weekend in a row on Sunday.
Just eight days after serving up a thriller in Cologne - which the Thunder won by a 31-28 score having overcome a 21-0 deficit - the 2-2 teams will go head to head in a bid to enter the season's halfway mark with a winning record.
And having won last weekend, Berlin will be keen to complete a sweep of the back-to-back series - a feat that has not been as hard to achieve as it might first appear.
Throughout NFL Europa history, there have been 19 weekends when teams have met in back-to-back contests. Of those 19 series, the team winning the first game has gone on to win the second meeting on 13 occasions.
Cologne has never faced an opponent on back-to-back weekends.
Berlin has played seven back-to-back series since 1999, sweeping Amsterdam in 2001 (Wks 9 & 10), Barcelona in 2002 (Wks 5 & 6) and Scotland, also in 2002 (Wks 8 & 9).
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "I think it's better when you play a team the second time around. You have to correct the things that need to be corrected and keep doing what was working."
Thunder quarterback TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks) says: "Cologne is a good football team but we have some momentum now. We know we can come back even if we get behind. We're never going to quit."
Hippler plays in 100th contest
THERE was one bright spot for the Cologne Centurions during last weekend's heartbreaking loss to the Berlin Thunder - veteran German tight end WERNER HIPPLER played in a league record 100th regular season game.
The three-time World Bowl winner marked his achievement by catching one pass for two yards, giving him career totals of 96 receptions for 965 yards and three touchdowns.
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "The only positive of the day was Werner Hippler playing in his 100th game. It's great for Werner. It's great for the city of Cologne. It's a great accomplishment.
"Werner may be the most important player on our team. He is like a big brother to our guys and if they have a problem or an issue, he can help them out."
Hippler says: "It's a great honor. I've been blessed to stay healthy the whole time. I've been able to play for my hometown team in the Cologne Centurions and I have had a very fulfilling career."
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 4
Andrus sees his Admirals reduce number of penalties
AS well as recording a victory over the league-leading Frankfurt Galaxy last weekend, the Amsterdam Admirals also found another way to please head coach BART ANDRUS - they reduced the number of times they were penalized during the contest.
The Admirals were still flagged eight times for 65 yards but that was a marked improvement on the 14 penalties for 129 yards the previous week at Berlin.
Amsterdam remains the most penalized team in the league this season (34 penalties for 316 yards) but Andrus is pleased with the progress his players are making in that department.
He says: "I'm never pleased with penalties. We're usually the least penalized team in the league. This time around, we've had some problems, we've had some issues.
"Against Frankfurt we almost cut our penalties in half compared to the previous game. That tells me that our guys are listening. We played cleaner, smarter football."
Here is a look at the number of penalties each team has committed this season:
Team Penalties Yards
Amsterdam 34 316
Cologne 34 273
Rhein 30 269
Berlin 29 222
Hamburg 26 195
Frankfurt 25 275
Andrus adds: "I'm still not happy with eight penalties for 65 yards but it was a big reduction and if we can keep doing that, we will get back to where we're used to being - one of the least penalized teams in the league."
NFLE FACTS:Familiar Faces
Of the top 10 leaders in receiving yardage this season, six are returning veterans with NFL Europa experience. RICH MUSINSKI (Berlin 2006-07), SKYLER FULTON (Amsterdam 2006-07), SCOTT McCREADY (Scotland 2002-04, Hamburg 2005-07), BRANDON MIDDLETON (Berlin/Rhein 2006), AARON HOSACK (Frankfurt 2005-07) and LARRY CROOM (Hamburg 2005, Amsterdam 2006-07) are all among the leaders.
NFLE FACTS:Hitting the Wall
Cologne's opening six possessions against Berlin in Week 4 produced four touchdowns. Their final six possessions ended with three punts, two lost fumbles and a missed field goal that saw them lose 31-28.
McCready grabs 200th catch
HAMBURG Sea Devils wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY became just the second man in NFL Europa history to reach 200 career receptions when he caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Casey Bramlet last week.
In reeling in his eighth catch of the day during a one-sided victory over the Rhein Fire, McCready earned National Player of the Week honors and took his career totals to 200 receptions for 2,298 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In his sixth season in NFL Europa, McCready - who became the first Englishman to win a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots in February, 2002 - now needs just 53 receptions to become NFL Europa's all-time leader.
All Time Receptions Leaders in NFLE history
Player/Team Receptions
Mario Bailey (Frank, 95-00) 252
Scott McCready (Sco 02-04, Ham 05-07) 200
Demetrius Davis (Bar 91-92, 95-96) 151
Judd Garrett (Lon 91-92) 126
Michael Titley (Orl 92, Lon 95-97) 124
Sea Devils head coach VINCE MARTINO says: "Scott is an amazing player. He is our go-to receiver and the guy everybody is going to look to defend when they play Hamburg."
McCready's 2,298 receiving yards have him placed second all-time behind Mario Bailey.
NFLE FACTS:Time to Produce
Through the opening four weeks of play, the Rhein Fire leads NFL Europa with an average time of possession of 31:09. Yet the Fire has not been able to translate that generous portion of time of possession into offensive production. Rhein ranks sixth in NFLE in total yards per game (211.8), points scored (34), average yards per offensive play (3.6), yards per rush (2.8) and yards per completion (9.4).
NFLE FACTS:Return King
Hamburg Sea Devils running back QUENTIN GRIFFIN made his name as a starter in the Denver Broncos' backfield during the 2004 and 2005 NFL seasons. And while he is a key part of Hamburg's rushing attack this season, it is as a return man that he has grabbed headlines, leading NFL Europa with an average of 47.0 yards on four returns. Griffin's runbacks have covered 17, 52, 79 and 40 yards, with the last two setting up Hamburg touchdowns against Frankfurt and Rhein respectively.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-2)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (32-32 in NFLE,Plus 1-1 in World Bowl)Colors: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ron Heller (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Richard Kent (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 66-58
MEDIA CONTACT: Joost Kling
Phone: 31-20-465-0550
Fax: 31-20-465-0555
E-mail: klingj@admirals.nl
Internet: www.admirals.nl
LAST GAME: Won 19-17 vs Frankfurt (5/6/07)
OFFENSE: 14.25 pts/game; 257 yds/game (rank 5); 63 yds rush/game (rank 6); 194 yds pass/game (rank 4)
Passing: Drew Olson, 810 yds
Rushing: Jonathan Smith, 147 yds
Receiving: Skyler Fulton, 17 rec, 238 yds
DEFENSE: 18.25 pts/game; 331.5 yds/game (rank 6); 103.3 rush yds/game (rank 6); 228.3 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Tim Jones, 2.0
Interceptions: Erick Harris, 1
- THIS WEEK: at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
Head coach BART ANDRUS saw his team even its record at 2-2 last week and says: "We're going to take the bull by the horns and see if we can win the game every time. We cannot get scared."... QB DREW OLSON (Baltimore Ravens) ranks fifth among NFLE quarterbacks (see table) with a passer rating of 72.1. Has attempted and completed more passes than any other QB in the league through four games. Has thrown at least 2 TD passes in three of four games this season... RB JONATHAN SMITH rushed for 85 yards and 1 touchdown on 14 carries last week and added 3 receptions for 22 yards... RB LARRY CROOM rushed 10 times for 29 yards last week and added 1 catch for 4 yards... WR SKYLER FULTON had a record six 100-yard receiving days in 2006 but has been held under 100 yards in each of his four games this season (see table). Has scored a touchdown in three of four games in 2007... WR HARRY WILLIAMS (Houston Texans) caught 2 passes for 35 yards and 1 touchdown last week and has 5 for 60 on the season... WR JUSTIN SURRENCY (Minnesota Vikings) caught 3 passes for 37 yards last week and has 8 receptions for 71 yards and 1 touchdown in 2007... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA caught 2 passes for 13 yards last week and has 11 receptions for 97 yards on the season. Has returned 10 kickoffs for 196 yards (43 long) and 3 punt returns for 32 yards... TE BEN HALL has 5 catches for 53 yards on the season... French TE YOAN SCHNEE caught 2 passes for 19 yards last week and has 3 receptions for 29 yards on the season... DE TIM JONES recorded 3 tackles last weekend and has 2 sacks this season... DE MARCUS WEST registered 1 tackle last week and has 13 stops on the year... DT NORMAN HEUER recorded 1 tackle last week and has 7 and 1 forced fumble in 2007... Dutch LB AKWASI MENSAH recorded 2 tackles last week and has 11 stops on the season... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK recorded 6 tackles during last week's victory against Frankfurt
and has 18 stops and 1 sack this season... LB KURT KAHUI (San Diego Chargers) made his second start of the season last week and recorded 5 tackles and 2 special teams takedowns. Has 16 tackles in 2007... LB DERRICK BALLARD recorded 13 tackles in 2007 before being placed on injured reserve... LB LAWRENCE PINSON recorded 5 tackles, 1 pass defense and 1 forced fumble last week... CB KEVIN GARRETT (Carolina Panthers) recorded 1 tackle and knocked down 1 pass last week. Has 9 tackles and 4 pass defenses on the season... CB ABRAHAM ELIMIMIAN registered 2 tackles last week and has 18 this season... S DEANDRE EILAND has recorded 20 tackles this term after adding 6 stops and 2 pass defenses last weekend... S JAMIE THOMPSON (New York Jets) recorded 7 tackles last week and has 22 on the season to lead Amsterdam's defense... K JARET JOHNSON converted 1 of 2 PATs last week. Has hit on 1 of 2 field goals (29 long) and 6 of 7 PATs for 9 points this season... P GLENN PAKULAK (Tennessee Titans) averaged 36.4 yards on 5 punts last week with a long of 49.
QB DREW OLSON (Baltimore Ravens), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Frank 35 22 260 2 2
Wk 2: vs Rhein 30 16 115 0 0
Wk 3: at Ber 31 19 235 2 2
Wk 4: vs Frank 32 16 200 2 2
TOTAL 128* 73* 610 6 6
WR SKYLER FULTON, GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Frank 3 46 1
Wk 2: vs Rhein 4 29 0
Wk 3: at Ber 7 93 1
Wk 4: vs Frank 3 70 1
TOTAL 17 238 3
* Leads NFLE
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (2-2)Head Coach: John Allen (2-2 in NFLE) Colors: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Lawrence (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 42-41-1
MEDIA CONTACT: Cem Herder
Phone: 49-30-300-644-00
Fax: 49-30-300-644-77
E-mail: cem.herder@berlin-thunder.de
Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de
LAST GAME: Won 31-28 at Cologne (5/5/07)
OFFENSE: 15.75 pts/game; 303.3 yds/game (rank 3); 103.3 rush yds/game (rank 3); 200 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Travis Lulay, 857 yds
Rushing: Chris Barclay, 184 yds
Receiving: Carlton Brewster, 25 rec, 352 yds
DEFENSE: 15.25 pts/game; 266.3 yds/game (rank 3); 75.3 rush yds/game (rank 1); 191 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Walter Curry, 2.5
Interceptions: Four players, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs COLOGNE CENTURIONS -
JOHN ALLEN is preparing his club to face the same opponent for the second week in a row, saying: "I tip my hat to Cologne for their performance last week. They did a great job but it was a tale of two halves and we were fortunate to come out on top. We have to keep pressing."... QB TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europa in passing yardage (see table) and has a QB rating of 79.8. Has also rushed for 136 yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries... QB BRUCE EUGENE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) did not see playing time for the second week in a row last week... RB CHRIS BARCLAY (Cleveland Browns) leads Berlin with 184 rushing yards after carrying 15 times for 38 yards last week. Also has 9 receptions for 40 yards. Scored on a 99-yard kickoff return last week... RB DAMIEN RHODES rushed for a team-high 60 yards on 14 carries last week and scored the game-winning TD on an 11-yard run... WR CARLTON BREWSTER (Green Bay Packers) leads NFL Europa in receptions and receiving yards (see table). Was held to his lowest yardage total of the season last week but scored his first TD... WR RICH MUSINSKI is in his second season with the Thunder. Caught 4 passes for 39 yards last week and has 17 receptions for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season... Mexican WR ALEJANDRO GAMEZ caught 3 passes for 46 yards last week and has 6 for 68 on the season... Mexican WR GUSTAVO TELLA has 1 reception for 16 yards in 2007... TE CHARLES DAVIS (New York Giants) caught 5 passes for 40 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Has 10 receptions for 67 yards and 1 score on the season... TE ALEX SHOR (Arizona Cardinals) has 3 receptions for 24 yards in 2007 after adding 2 for 18 last week... DE DAVE TOLLEFSON (Oakland Raiders) recorded 2 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry last week. Also knocked down 2 passes. Has 10 tackles and 2 sacks on the season... DE WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the Thunder with 2.5 sacks among his 11 tackles this season. Recorded 5 stops and 1 fumble recovery last week. Has also forced a fumble and knocked down 2 passes in 2007... DT BRYANT SHAW (Washington Redskins) recorded 1
tackle at Cologne and has 7 and 1 sack on the season... DT LAUVALE SAPE has 12 stops this year... DT QUARTEZ VICKERSON has recorded 11 tackles and 1 sack this season after adding 5 stops in Week 4... LB JAMEEL DUMAS has made 20 tackles this season after adding 7 and 1 pass defense last week. Also recorded an interception in Week 1... LB MIKE MENDENHALL has 19 tackles on the season after adding 4 last week... LB TIM GOODWELL (Green Bay Packers) led the Thunder with 10 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 1 pass defense last week... German LB RICHARD ADJEI has made 11 tackles this season after recording a career-high 5 at Cologne last week... CB DENNIS DAVIS (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 8 and 2 pass defenses on the season... CB JOSH LAY (St. Louis Rams) registered 9 tackles last week and has 21 and 3 pass defenses on the year... CB CHRIS THOMPSON played in 12 games for the Chicago Bears in 2005, registering 10 tackles. Recorded 1 tackle and 2 pass defenses last week. Has season totals of 15 tackles, 5 pass defenses, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble... CB CHRIS HARRELL recorded 4 tackles, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery last week. Has 23 stops on the season... S ETRIC PRUITT (Detroit Lions) leads the Thunder defense with 25 tackles and 1 forced fumble... K ANDREW JACAS connected on a 43-yard field goal last week. Has connected on 4 of 7 field goals (55 long) and converted 7/7 PATs for 21 points on the season... P TOM MALONE (New England Patriots) punted 3 times for a 43.3-yard average last week. Has averaged 39.8 on 14 punts this season.
QB TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Rhein 31 21 182 0 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 32 17 190 1 2
Wk 3: vs Ams 31 18 267 1 1
Wk 4: at Col 26 17 218 2 1
TOTAL 120 73 857* 4 4
WR CARLTON BREWSTER (Green Bay Packers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Rhein 7 95 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 7 103 0
Wk 3: vs Ams 9 85 0
Wk 4: at Col 2 69 1
TOTAL 25* 352* 1
* Leads NFLE
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-2)Head Coach: David Duggan (7-7 in NFLE)Colors: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jeff Filkovski (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 16-18
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: Lost 28-31 vs Berlin (5/5/07)
OFFENSE: 19.75 pts/game; 293.3 yds/game (rank 4); 112.8 rush yds/game (rank 1); 180.5 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Erik Meyer, 480 yds
Rushing: Derrick Ross, 303 yds
Receiving: Bobby Blizzard, 13 rec; Burl Toler, 181 yds
DEFENSE: 18.25 pts/game; 241.5 yds/game (rank 1); 86.8 rush yds/game (rank 2); 154.8 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Jason Hall, 3.0
Interceptions: Gabe Franklin, 2
- THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER -
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN saw his team blow a 21-point lead last week and says: "It's an embarrassing loss for us as a staff. I take full blame for it. We have to be better prepared to handle a situation like that."... QB QUINTON PORTER (Houston Texans) saw action as a reserve last week (see table). Has a QB rating of 78.8 on the season and has also rushed for 25 yards on 3 carries... QB ERIK MEYER made his second start last week and hit on 15 of 21 passes for 180 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a rating of 136.9. Has also rushed for 54 yards on 13 scrambles this term... RB DERRICK ROSS (Kansas City Chiefs) had his third game of at least 20 carries last week (see table). Leads NFL Europa in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns... WR JOVON BOUKNIGHT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught 5 passes for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns last weekend and has 10 for 128 and 2 scores on the season... WR BURL TOLER caught 3 passes for 50 yards last week and has 11 receptions for 181 yards on the season... WR TRAMAIN HALL has 9 receptions for 144 yards on the season after adding a 13-yard catch last week... TE TONY CURTIS (Dallas Cowboys) played in four regular season games for the Cowboys in 2006. Caught 4 passes for 37 yards and 1 touchdown last week and has 6 receptions for 52 yards in 2007... TE BOBBY BLIZZARD leads the Centurions with 14 receptions for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns after catching 1 for 20 yards last week... German TE WERNER HIPPLER played in his league record 100th regular season game last weekend and caught 1 pass for 2 yards... DE TYLER KING has 2 sacks this season ... DE JASON HALL (Carolina Panthers) registered 4 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble last week. Leads Cologne with 3 sacks among 10 tackles in 2007... DT KEVIN VICKERSON (Miami Dolphins) has 10 stops on the season after he recorded 2 against Berlin last week... DT McKINLEY BOKIN (New Orleans Saints) has 7 tackles and 0.5 sacks on the season after adding 1 stop last week... DT TOM JOHNSON (Indianapolis Colts) made 3 tackles against Berlin last weekend, giving him 9 stops and 1.5 sacks in 2007...
LB CLIFTON SMITH (Cleveland Browns) has made 21 tackles in 2007 after adding 8 stops and his second forced fumble of the season last week. Also has 1 interception for 37 yards... LB JOHN SALDI (Dallas Cowboys) has made 8 tackles and added 1 interception for 21 yards ... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT leads the Centurions with 28 tackles and has added 1 sack and 2 special teams stop in 2007... CB GABE FRANKLIN (San Diego Chargers) recorded 6 tackles and knocked down 3 passes last week. Has 20 tackles, 2 interceptions for 19 yards, a team-high 8 pass defenses, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in a very productive start to the 2007 campaign... CB JERRON WISHOM (Minnesota Vikings) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 9 stops and 3 pass defenses on the season... CB KEVIN HOUSE has 15 tackles on the season after recording 3 tackles and 2 pass defenses last week... S KEVIN CURTIS has 19 tackles in four games this season after adding 9 and 1 pass defense last week... S CHRIS REIS (New Orleans Saints) recorded a team-high 13 tackles and added 1 pass defense and 1 fumble recovery last week. Has 21 tackles, 1 interception, 4 pass defenses and 1 fumble recovery on the season... K NICK NOVAK (Chicago Bears) missed a game-tying 38-yard field goal with four seconds remaining last week. Has converted 3 of 6 field goals and 10 of 10 PATs on the season... P JOEL STELLY (Chicago Bears) has placed a league-high 9 punts inside the 20-yard line this season.
QB QUINTON PORTER (Houston Texans), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Ham 14 10 117 1 0
Wk 2: vs Fra 9 5 95 1 1
Wk 3: at Rhe 8 5 33 0 0
Wk 4: vs Ber 7 3 35 0 1
TOTAL 38 23 280 2 2
RB DERRICK ROSS (Kansas City Chiefs), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Rhein 29 120 1 3 25 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 22 48 0 2 1 0
Wk 3: at Rhe 17 66 1 2 5 0
Wk 4: vs Ber 20 69 1 2 15 0
TOTAL 88* 303* 3* 9 46 0
* Leads NFLE
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (3-1)Head Coach: Mike Jones (20-14) in NFLEL, plus 1-1 in World Bowl.Colors: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Carson (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 78-66
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 17-19 at Amsterdam (5/6/07)
OFFENSE: 21.25 pts/game; 311.8 yds/game (rank 1); 101.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 210.3 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Passing: J.T. O'Sullivan, 718 yds
Rushing: Anthony Sherrell, 179 yds
Receiving: Brandon Middleton, 14 rec, 183 yds
DEFENSE: 15.75 pts/game; 322.3 yds/game (rank 5); 88.3 rush yds/game (rank 3); 234 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: John Syptak, 2.5
Interceptions: Bill Alford, 2
- THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE -
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES saw his team lose for the first time last week and says: "We didn't play well or match Amsterdam's intensity. As a result, we lost this game."... QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (Chicago Bears) is NFL Europa's highest-rated passer with a score of 104.7 (see table). Lost just his third game as an NFLE starter last week (9-3)... QB KEVIN EAKIN (Buffalo Bills) has completed 13 of 30 passes for 193 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception this season... RB ANTHONY SHERRELL (Detroit Lions) did not play last week after being placed on injured reserve (see table). Ranks second among NFL Europa rushers and third in total offense with 241 yards from scrimmage... RB CHARLES ANTHONY rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries last week and has 141 on 36 attempts this season... RB SHA-RON EDWARDS carried 11 times for 35 yards last week... RB J.R. NIKLOS caught 1 pass for 8 yards last week... WR JERMAINE JAMISON (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 2 passes for 44 yards last week and has 6 for 80 on the season. Also returned 3 kickoffs for 55 yards at Amsterdam... WR AARON HOSACK missed last week's contest through injury. Has 4 catches for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns this season... WR ROBERT ORTIZ has 9 catches for 85 yards on the season... WR BRANDON MIDDLETON caught 2 passes for 29 yards last week and has 14 for 183 on the season. Also returned 4 punts for 28 yards but lost a fumble... WR FELTON HUGGINS has 7 receptions for 150 yards and 2 scores on the season after adding 2 receptions for 36 yards last week... TE JAMES PETROWSKI (Tennessee Titans) has 8 receptions for 111 yards this season after adding 5 catches for 76 yards and 1 touchdown last week... TE DAVID JONES has 4 receptions for 27 yards on the year. Caught 2 passes for 18 yards last weekend... DE JOHN SYPTAK (San Francisco 49ers) has 2.5 sacks among his 11 tackles in 2007. Added 3 stops to his tally last week... German DE ULRICH WINKLER has 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season after adding 2 stops at Amsterdam last week...
German DE DANIEL BENETKA has made 5 tackles this season after adding 1 last week... DE JUSTIN BROWN is in his second season with the Galaxy and has recorded 3 stops and 3 pass defenses... DT KENNY KING (Baltimore Ravens) registered 1 tackle last week. Has season totals of 5 tackles and 3 quarterback hurries... DT ZARNELL FITCH (New York Jets) has 1 interception, 9 tackles and 2 pass defenses to his name this season... DT REMI AYODELE (Dallas Cowboys) recorded 3 tackles last week... LB NICK REID (Kansas City Chiefs) has 18 tackles this season after adding 2 last week... LB MATT SINCLAIR leads the Galaxy defense with 24 tackles. Has also knocked down 4 passes and added 1 interception... LB KYLE KILLION recorded 3 tackles last week... CB SHIRDONYA MITCHELL (Miami Dolphins) has registered 12 tackles, 1 interception for 81 yards and a touchdown, and a team-leading 7 pass defenses in 2007... CB BILL ALFORD recorded 2 tackles, 1 interception and 3 pass defenses last week. Has 9 tackles, 2 interceptions and 7 pass defenses on the season... S JAMAR LANDROM (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 4 tackles last week and has 8 stops on the season... S RON ROCKETT has 17 tackles on the season but missed a second game in a row through injury last week... K RHYS LLOYD leads NFLE in scoring having converted 7 of 9 field goals (56 long) and 9 of 9 PATs for 31 points... P KYLE BASLER (Cleveland Browns) leads NFL Europa with an average of 45.0 on 12 punts. Has a long of 55 yards with 3 inside the 20-yard line.
QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (Chicago Bears), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Ams 21 15 160 2 0
Wk 2: at Col 20 13 143 1 1
Wk 3: vs Ham 22 14 223 1 0
Wk 4: at Ams 23 13 192 1 0
TOTAL 86 55 718 5 1
RB ANTHONY SHERRELL (Detroit Lions), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Ams 17 110 0 2 17 0
Wk 2: at Col 14 57 0 6 45 0
Wk 3: vs Ham 3 12 0 0 0 0
Wk 4: DNP - Injured Reserve
TOTAL 34 179 0 8 62 0
* Leads NFLE
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (2-2)Head Coach: Vince Martino (2-2 in NFLE)Colors: Dark blue, teal, red
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: N/A
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 10-13-1
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: Won 34-9 vs Rhein (5/6/07)
OFFENSE: 21.25 pts/game; 305.5 yds/game (rank 2); 104.5 rush yds/game (rank 2); 201 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Casey Bramlet, 734 yds
Rushing: Quentin Griffin, 146 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready, 18 rec, 219 yds
DEFENSE: 15 pts/game; 272.5 yds/game (rank 4); 99.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 173 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Gary Gibson, 3.0
Interceptions: Shawn Mayer, 2
- THIS WEEK: vs AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
Head coach VINCE MARTINO saw his team in dominant form last week and says: "Our kids executed plays that we had not seen in the previous three weeks. We really put everything together and executed a lot better than in the past."... QB CASEY BRAMLET (Washington Redskins) is in his second season in NFL Europa and ranks second among QBs with a rating of 95.7 (see table). Threw a season-high 3 TD passes last week... QB ROD RUTHERFORD has completed 8 of 18 attempts for 100 yards and 3 interceptions this season... RB QUENTIN GRIFFIN was a fourth round draft choice of Denver in 2003. He started five games for the Broncos in 2003-04. Ranks fifth among NFLE rushers (see table). Returned 1 kickoff for 40 yards. Leads NFLE with an average of 47.0 yards on 4 kickoff returns...RB TONY HOLLINGS is a former NFL starter with the Houston Texans. Ranks second on the Sea Devils in rushing (see table) and eighth in NFL Europa... English RB JERMAINE ALLEN has carried 19 times for 57 yards and 2 scores in 2007. Carried 10 times for 38 yards last week... WR MARCUS MAXWELL (San Francisco 49ers) caught a 14-yard touchdown pass last week and has 8 for 134 on the season... WR SCOTT McCREADY is in his third season in Hamburg and a sixth campaign in NFLEL. Ranks second on the all-time charts with 200 receptions for 2,298 yards. Caught 8 passes for 99 yards and 1 touchdown last week... WR JUSTIN JENKINS has 11 receptions for 167 yards in 2007... WR JOSH DAVIS has 9 receptions for 109 yards this season... WR RASHAUN WOODS, a former first round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004, is on Hamburg's practice squad having recovered from a hamstring injury... Former British sprinter-turned-WR DWAIN CHAMBERS saw action in his second game of the season last week... TE TEYO JOHNSON (Denver Broncos) caught 2 passes for 31 yards and 1 touchdown last week and has 7 for 88 on the year... TE MIKE PINKARD has 4 catches for 27 yards in 2007... DE JIMMY VERDON (Cincinnati Bengals) recorded 2 quarterback hurries and 2 pass defenses last week. Has 7 tackles on the season and has also forced and
recovered 1 fumble... DE JUSTIN KURPEIKIS recorded 4 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 quarterback hurries last week. Has 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries and 1 pass defense on the season... DE NATHANIEL ADIBI (Tennessee Titans) has missed the last three games through injury and has 2 tackles this season... DT TIM SANDIDGE (St. Louis Rams) has 11 tackles to his name this season after adding 5 last week. Also knocked down 2 passes, registered 2 quarterback hurries and 1 forced fumble against Rhein... DT GARY GIBSON recorded 4 tackles, 3 sacks for 24 yards, 2 quarterback hurries and 1 forced fumble last week... LB TRENT BRAY (Houston Texans) has recorded 13 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry this season... LB BARRY ROBERTSON (New York Giants) did not play last week. Has 12 tackles on the season... LB BYRON HARDMON is in his second season with the Sea Devils and has 13 tackles after adding 1 last week... Mexican LB JONATHAN HURTADO has 12 tackles in 2007 after adding 2 last week... CB JUSTIN WYATT (Arizona Cardinals) has 10 tackles, 2 pass defenses and 1 interception for 25 yards this season. Registered a team-high 5 tackles last week... CB LAMONT REID (Denver Broncos) recorded 3 tackles last week giving him 10 and 1 pass defense on the season... CB MICHAEL HARDEN has 12 tackles on the season... S JOHN WALKER (Houston Texans) recorded 3 tackles and 1 pass defense last week and has season totals of 18 stops, 1 interception and 4 pass defenses... S SHAWN MAYER is in his third season in Hamburg. Has 16 tackles on the season and added his second interception of 2007 last week... K SHANE ANDRUS (Indianapolis Colts) converted 2 of 2 field goal attempts last week (44 long). Ranks second among NFLE kickers with 29 points, having hit on 8 of 10 field goals (44 long) and 5 of 6 PATs... P ADAM ANDERSON (Atlanta Falcons) punted twice for 69 yards last week. Has averaged 39.1 yards on 13 punts this season.
QB CASEY BRAMLET (Washington Redskins), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Col 21 14 161 1 1
Wk 2: at Ber 18 12 116 0 0
Wk 3: at Fra 21 12 237 1 1
Wk 4: vs Rhe 27 18 220 3 1
TOTAL 87 56 734 5 3
RB QUENTIN GRIFFIN, GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Col 7 43 0 0 0 0
Wk 2: at Ber 10 32 0 1 10 0
Wk 3: at Fra 9 35 0 0 0 0
Wk 4: vs Rhe 6 36 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 32 146 0 1 10 0
RB TONY HOLLINGS, GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Col 7 37 1 0 0 0
Wk 2: at Ber 14 40 0 1 8 0
Wk 3: at Fra 6 5 0 1 8 0
Wk 4: vs Rhe 10 45 0 2 24 0
TOTAL 37 127 1 4 40 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (1-3)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (19-14-1 in NFLE,Plus 1-1 in World Bowls)Colors: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Larry New (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 65-59
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: Lost 9-34 at Hamburg (5/6/07)
OFFENSE: 8.5 pts/game; 211.8 yds/game (rank 6); 70.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 141.3 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Cody Pickett, 370 yds
Rushing: Taurean Henderson, 106 yds
Receiving: P.K. Sam, 9 rec, 129 yds
DEFENSE: 18.25 pts/game; 248.5 yds/game (rank 2); 102.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 146 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Christian Mohr, 2.0
Interceptions: Richard Koonce, Andrew Pace, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY -
Head coach RICK LANTZ saw his team continue to struggle offensively and lose for a second week in a row. He says: "I thought we were ready to play, I really did. But they executed better than we did, offensively and defensively."... QB BRETT ELLIOTT (San Diego Chargers) completed 4 of 13 passes for 32 yards with 1 interception last week. Has thrown for 257 yards this season with a QB rating of 50.1... QB CODY PICKETT threw his first touchdown pass of the season last week (see table). Posted a QB rating of 105.9 last week and has a season rating of 67.0... RB GERALD RIGGS (Chicago Bears) has rushed for 60 yards on 27 carries this season and added 4 catches for 20 yards... RB TAUREAN HENDERSON (Atlanta Falcons) carried 13 times for 54 yards last week but lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Leads the Fire with 106 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 34 carries... RB MICHAEL FRANKLIN has rushed 13 times for 33 yards and returned 12 kickoffs for 271 yards and 9 punts for 84 yards... WR P.K. SAM (Miami Dolphins) is averaging 16.9 yards per reception (see table) and ranks eighth in NFL Europa in receiving yardage... WR CEDRIC BONNER (Washington Redskins) has 8 receptions for 48 yards on the season... WR J.J. OUTLAW (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 2 passes of for 28 yards last week and has 6 for 78 on the season... WR LAUREN WILLIAMS (Oakland Raiders) has 4 receptions for 62 yards on the season and has added 2 runs for 10 yards... English WR MARVIN ALLEN caught 4 passes for 36 yards last week and has a team-leading 9 for 91 in 2007... Japanese WR MICHIHIRO OGAWA has 3 receptions for 21 yards this season after adding 2 for 7 yards last week... TE ERIK JENSEN has 5 receptions for 53 yards this season... TE SEAN MULCAHY (Cincinnati Bengals) caught 4 passes for 35 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Has 5 receptions for 45 yards on the season... DE MATTHEW RICE (Detroit Lions) has 6 tackles to his name... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR leads the Fire with 2 sacks among his 8 tackles... DT ALEX GUERRERO (Minnesota Vikings) has recorded 6 tackles this season...
DT MICHAEL BOZEMAN (Atlanta Falcons) has 4 tackles on the season... LB RICHARD KOONCE (Pittsburgh Steelers) recorded 6 tackles last week and has 19 on the season... LB BLAKE COSTANZO (New York Jets) registered 6 tackles, 1 quarterback hurry and 1 pass defense last week. Leads Rhein with 24 tackles through four games and has added 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 4 pass defenses... LB DEREK REHAGE (Pittsburgh Steelers) recorded 5 tackles last week and has 11 on the season... CB CARLOS HENDRICKS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has 13 tackles in 2007 after adding 2 last week... S ANDREW PACE has 15 tackles on the season after adding 5 and 1 interception last week... S CALVIN CARLYLE recorded 6 tackles and 1 pass defense last week. Has 14 stops this season... German S RICHARD YANCY is in his eighth season in NFL Europa and a sixth campaign with the Fire. Has recorded 7 tackles and 1 pass defense in 2007... K CONNOR HUGHES (Pittsburgh Steelers) converted a 36-yard field goal and gained 20 yards on a fake field goal run last week. Ranks third among NFLE kickers with 22 points, having converted 7 of 7 field goals and 1 of 2 PATs... P DANNY BAUGHER (New England Patriots) ranks third among NFL Europa punters with an average of 41.3 on 19 punts with a long of 59 yards.
QB CODY PICKETT, GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Ber 16 8 57 0 1
Wk 2: at Ams 17 9 131 0 0
Wk 3: vs Col 16 9 59 0 1
Wk 4: at Ham 21 16 123 1 0
TOTAL 70 42 370 1 2
WR P.K. SAM (Miami Dolphins), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Ber 3 42 0
Wk 2: at Ams 3 81 0
Wk 3: vs Col 1 6 0
Wk 4: at Ham 2 23 0
TOTAL 9 152 0
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 11
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-2)
at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (2-2)
AOL Arena, Hamburg. Saturday May 12, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Series tied 2-2
At Hamburg: Series tied 1-1
At Amsterdam: Series tied 1-1
Streak: Hamburg 1
Last season: Amsterdam 18 at Hamburg 17; Hamburg 34 at Amsterdam 21
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/DirecTV (12 noon ET, Saturday May 12)
DELAY/NFL Network (1:00 a.m. ET, Sunday May 13)
Play-by-play announcer CHARLES DAVIS is joined in the booth by former New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons quarterback DANNY KANELL.
COACHES
BART ANDRUS is in his seventh season in charge of the Admirals. Has led the club to back-to-back World Bowl appearances. Won the title game in 2005 and was named Coach of the Year. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000. Has a 2-2 record against Hamburg... VINCE MARTINO has a 2-2 record as an NFLE head coach. Has worked alongside former head coach Jack Bicknell since the inaugural 1991 campaign. Won a World Bowl ring with the Barcelona Dragons in 1997. Also coached with the Scottish Claymores.
GAME NOTES
This young rivalry (the teams first met in 2005) is evenly matched with both clubs having won two games - one at home and one on the road... Amsterdam opened the year with losses to Frankfurt and Rhein but has since rebounded with wins over Berlin and Frankfurt... Hamburg is one of only three teams to have won on home soil in 2007, the others being Frankfurt and Amsterdam... Amsterdam quarterbacks have attempted (131) and completed (73) more passes than any other team in the league... Amsterdam's aerial attack produces 75.5 per cent of the club's offensive yards... Hamburg's offensive production has them ranked second in NFL Europa, averaging 305.5 yards per game... Hamburg quarterbacks are averaging 13.03 yards per completion to rank second in the league... Amsterdam's sixth-ranked defense is allowing a league-high 14.4 yards per pass completion... The Admirals are the most penalized team in NFL Europa having been flagged 34 times for 316 yards... Hamburg quarterbacks have thrown a league-high 6 interceptions this season... Amsterdam's defense has come up with an NFLE-low 1 interception through four games... Amsterdam's defense leads NFL Europa in fumbles forced (9) and recovered (6)... Hamburg boasts the best red zone attack in the league, scoring on 11 of 12 trips (7 touchdowns, 4 field goals) inside the opponent's 20-yard line... Amsterdam has punted a league-high 19 times through four weeks of play. They punted just 34 times in the entire 2006 campaign... Hamburg is averaging a league-best 30.7 yards per kickoff return but will face an Amsterdam unit that leads NFL Europa by allowing just 19.1 yards per kickoff return this term... In the first meeting between the teams last season, K RYAN KILLEEN kicked a 34-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining to give the Admirals a one-point victory in Hamburg. In the return leg in Amsterdam, Sea Devils RBs DEJUAN GREEN and JERMAINE ALLEN scored touchdown runs as Hamburg recorded a 34-21 win. S JASON SHIVERS also scored on a 45-yard fumble return.
FRANKFURT GALAXY (3-1)
at RHEIN FIRE (1-3)
LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Saturday May 12, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Rhein leads 14-10 (Teams tied 1-1 in World Bowls)
At Rhein: Rhein leads 8-4
At Frankfurt: Series tied 6-6
Streak: Frankfurt 1
Last Season: Frankfurt 6 at Rhein 10; Rhein 14 at Frankfurt 16
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/ NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 12)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: LIVE/NASN Europe (7:00 p.m. CET, Saturday May 12)
Play-by-play announcer BOB PAPA is joined in the booth by former Seattle Seahawks quarterback BROCK HUARD.
COACHES
MIKE JONES has a 5-1 regular season record against the Fire. Is the reigning Coach of the Year after leading Frankfurt to World Bowl glory in 2006. Led the Galaxy to a World Bowl appearance as a rookie head coach in 2004 but lost to the Rick Lantz-led Berlin Thunder in World Bowl. 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... RICK LANTZ is in his first season with the Fire and fourth in NFLE. He twice guided Berlin to World Bowls, winning the championship against Frankfurt in 2004 before losing to Amsterdam in 2005. Was named NFLE Coach of the Year in 2004. Boasts a 4-2 regular season record against the Galaxy.
GAME NOTES
The oldest German rivals in NFL Europa meet with the Galaxy having enjoyed the better of recent meetings between the two teams... Frankfurt has won seven of the last eight games between the clubs, including World Bowl XI in 2003... Rhein's only win during that period came on opening day last season... Frankfurt boasts NFL Europa's leading attack, averaging 311.8 yards per game, 210.3 passing yards per contest and 13.4 yards per pass completion... Rhein's defense is ranked second in NFL Europa, limiting opponents to 248.5 yards per game... Rhein quarterbacks are completing a league-low 52.8 per cent of their passes and have been sacked an NFLE-high 8 times... Frankfurt's defense is ranked fifth in NFL Europa, allowing an average of 322.3 yards per game... Frankfurt quarterbacks have thrown a league-high 6 touchdown passes and a league-low 2 interceptions... Frankfurt running backs are averaging an NFL Europa-high 4.0 yards per carry... Rhein's rushers are averaging a league-low 2.8 yards per carry... Frankfurt leads NFL Europa with 15 plays (3 rush, 12 pass) covering 20 yards or more, while Rhein ranks sixth with 6 plays (1 rush, 5 pass)... Frankfurt's defense has allowed a league-low 1 rushing touchdown through the opening four games... Frankfurt is the least-penalized team in the league, drawing 25 flags for 275 yards... In the first meeting between the teams last season, Mexican WR JUAN WONG scored a decisive touchdown on a 45-yard pass from fellow WR CHRIS SAMP. The second meeting in Frankfurt saw the Galaxy edge home by two points courtesy of a 23-yard field goal by K DAVID KIMBALL with two seconds remaining. That cancelled out a potential game-winning score when QB TIMMY CHANG threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to English WR MARVIN ALLEN.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK FOUR RECAP NFL Europa 2007, Week 5 - Page 12
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-2)
at BERLIN THUNDER (2-2)
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Sunday May 13, 4:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Cologne leads 4-3
At Berlin: Berlin leads 2-1
At Cologne: Cologne leads 3-1
Streak: Berlin 1
This season: Berlin 31 at Cologne 28 (Week 4)
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/NFL Network (1:00 a.m. ET), Monday May 14
Play-by-play announcer CHRIS CARLIN is joined in the booth by former Seattle Seahawks quarterback BROCK HUARD.
COACHES
DAVID DUGGAN has a 1-2 record against Berlin following last weekend's loss to the Thunder. Prior to becoming head coach in 2006, he spent two years serving as Cologne's defensive coordinator. Held same position with the Berlin Thunder from 2001-03, during which time he won two World Bowls... JOHN ALLEN is 2-2 in his first season as an NFL Europa head coach but he is still looking for his first home win. Prior to joining the Thunder, he spent three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Amsterdam Admirals. During that time, the Admirals' attack ranked second in 2006, first in 2005 and second in 2004.
GAME NOTES
Teams meet for the second week in a row with the Thunder buoyed by the knowledge they won for the first time in Cologne in four attempts... Berlin now heads home to Olympic Stadium - site of the 2006 soccer World Cup Final - where it has an 0-2 record this season... Like the Thunder, Cologne is 0-2 at home this season but 2-0 on the road... Cologne boasts NFL Europa's leading rushing attack, averaging 33.25 carries and 112.8 yards per game... Cologne faces NFL Europa's top-ranked rushing defense as Berlin has restricted opponents to 75.3 rushing yards per game... Berlin has lost a league-high 6 fumbles this season... Cologne's defense is ranked first in fewest yards allowed (241.5) and also leads NFL Europa in sacks (12)... Cologne ranks second in interceptions (7) and also rates second in opponent's fumbles recovered (5)... Berlin's turnover ratio of -3 ranks sixth in NFL Europa (6 takeaways to 9 giveaways)... Cologne ranks second in NFL Europa in big plays covering 20 yards or more with 11 (2 rush, 9 pass). Berlin ranks third with 10 plays of 20+ yards (1 rush, 9 pass)... Berlin's third-ranked offense is the league's least efficient unit inside the red zone, scoring on just 4 of 11 trips (3 touchdowns, 1 field goal)... Cologne has been flagged a league-high 34 times (for 273 yards)... Centurions quarterbacks have completed a league-leading 60.3 percent of their passes this season... Berlin's defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 61.9 percent of their passes in 2007... Cologne's offensive line has allowed a league-low 6 sacks through the opening four weeks of the season... Berlin boasts the most efficient third down offense in the league, converting on 47.1 percent of the time (24 of 51)... Cologne has given up an NFL Europa-high 9 touchdowns this season, including 2 on returns or recoveries... Cologne has scored a league-high 10 touchdowns through four weeks of play... In last week's meeting between the teams, Cologne QB ERIK MEYER threw for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns as his club built a 21-0 first half lead. Berlin fought back behind the passing arm of QB TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks), who threw for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- WEEK FOUR RECAP -
Berlin Thunder 31, Cologne Centurions 28
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 10,084)
Travis Lulay (Ber) 218 passing yards, 2 touchdowns
Erik Meyer (Col) 180 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
Jovon Bouknight (Col) 5 recs, 72 yards, 2 touchdowns
Tim Goodwell (Ber) 10 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Frankfurt Galaxy 17, Amsterdam Admirals 19
(Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Attendance: 10,788)
Drew Olson (Ams) 200 passing yards, 2 touchdowns
Jonathan Smith (Ams) 107 total yards, 1 touchdown
J.T. O'Sullivan (Fra) 192 passing yards, 1 touchdown
Edward Kwaku (Fra) 6 tackles, 1 interception
Rhein Fire 9, Hamburg Sea Devils 34
(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 19,347)
Casey Bramlet (Ham) 220 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
Scott McCready (Ham) 8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 touchdown
Gary Gibson (Ham) 4 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Justin Kurpeikis (Ham) 4 tackles, 2 sacks
- RED ZONE STATISTICS - 2007 -
OFFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Hamburg 12 7 58.3 4 33.3 91.7
Cologne 11 7 63.6 3 27.3 90.9
Rhein 10 2 20.0 7 70.0 90.0
Amsterdam 9 6 66.7 1 11.1 77.8
Frankfurt 9 2 22.2 3 33.3 55.6
Berlin 11 3 27.3 1 9.1 36.4
DEFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Amsterdam 14 2 14.3 6 42.9 57.1
Rhein 11 5 45.5 2 18.2 63.6
Frankfurt 13 6 46.2 4 30.8 76.9
Hamburg 11 6 54.5 3 27.3 81.8
Berlin 7 4 57.1 2 28.6 85.7
Cologne 6 4 66.7 2 33.3 100.0
National Football League Europa Stories from May 8, 2007
- Redskins' Bramlet, Browns' Barclay And Hamburg's Gibson Named League Players Of Week - NFLE
- Everything To Play For As Season Approaches Halfway Mark - NFLE
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