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 National Football League Europa

Thunder one victory away from World Bowl berth

May 11, 2004 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release


DESPITE suffering their first loss of the year last weekend, the Berlin Thunder (5-1) head into Week 7 knowing victory against the Rhein Fire (3-3) will see them become the first team to book a berth in World Bowl XII in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on June 12.

If the Thunder can defeat Rhein at Olympic Stadium on Sunday May 16, they will book a place in World Bowl for the third time in the past four seasons.

Also playing at the same time on Sunday are the Frankfurt Galaxy (5-1) and the Scottish Claymores (1-5). The Galaxy currently lead the NFLEL standings and will aim to stay in top spot as they kick off a testing four-game run-in at the Waldstadion against a Scotland side whose World Bowl dreams hang by the thinnest of mathematical threads.

Prior to those vital contests, the Amsterdam Admirals (2-4) play host to the Cologne Centurions (2-4) at the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday evening. The winner of the crucial clash will maintain a World Bowl challenge, while the losing team will be eliminated if Berlin and Frankfurt wins on Sunday.

WEEK SEVEN SCHEDULE

SATURDAY MAY 15

Cologne Centurions at Amsterdam Admirals

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 16

Rhein Fire at Berlin Thunder

Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 4:00 p.m.

Scottish Claymores at Frankfurt Galaxy

Waldstadion, Frankfurt, 4:00 p.m.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 6

OFFENSIVE · CHAD HUTCHINSON · QB, Rhein

20 of 27 passes for 263 yards, 2 TDs, 129.1 QB rating

DEFENSIVE · KEITH DAVIS · S, Berlin

3 tackles, 3 pass defenses, 2 interceptions for 31 yards

SPECIAL TEAMS · HERB HAYGOOD · WR, Scotland

95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown

NATIONAL · ROB HART · K, Scotland

Kicked 2 of 2 FG (24 & 43 yards) and 1/1 PAT for 7 points to become leading scorer in NFLEL history

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 2

COVER STORY (Continued)

Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ experienced his first taste of defeat in NFL Europe last week but stands on the verge of reaching World Bowl with a win in Week 7. He says: “We wanted to put ourselves in a position to win the game last week and we did that but we couldn’t come up with the victory in the end. We will concentrate on winning the Rhein Fire game first and then worry about World Bowl after that.”

Rhein Fire will be no pushovers for Berlin having moved to within two games of the league leaders with victory over Amsterdam last weekend, ending a three-game losing streak and prompting head coach PETE KUHARCHEK to say: “It feels good to be a winner again – it has been three long weeks. I’m very proud of my team because they put forth a super effort. We are going to try to win every game and we all know anything can happen in this league. We’re not out of it.”

After defeating the Claymores at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Sunday, Frankfurt strengthened their chances of successfully defending the World Bowl title they won in Scotland last June.

But rookie head coach MIKE JONES knows there is a lot of football to be played before his players can prepare for a title showdown in Arena AufSchalke.

He says: “We talk about going 5-0 in the month of May and we only completed the second step in Scotland. The Claymores made it very tough for us and playing a team like that two weeks in a row means we have our work cut out for us. They showed why they have the best defense in the league. Our objective was to go into Scotland and win so we accomplished that.”

Claymores head coach JACK BICKNELL will expect a vast improvement from his team when they face the Galaxy for a second weekend in a row, as he says: “Our football team is hurting right now and we are very frustrated. I have now got to make sure we stick together and play like professionals over the next four weeks. We have our work cut out for us but I would be shocked if this team does not play to the very end.”

The Admirals head home in Week 7 knowing they must improve on last week’s showing in Gelsenkirchen if they are to have any chance of making a return trip to the home of the Rhein Fire for World Bowl.

Head coach BART ANDRUS says: “We didn’t play very well last week. In a have-to situation where we needed to make plays, we didn’t make them. We are a football team that needs to take a good look at ourselves and see where we’re at. We are going to look at what we do and things are going to change.”

After seeing his team lose several close encounters this season, Centurions head coach PETER VAAS was happy following his team’s 28-27 defeat of Berlin.

Vaas said: “This feels much better than losing and it was a great win for the city of Cologne, our fans and for the players.”

Berlin looking for Week 7 victory to secure berth in World Bowl XII

WHILE some NFL Europe League teams are reaching for their calculators to work out a route to next month’s World Bowl in Gelsenkirchen, the equation is simple for the Berlin Thunder – defeat the Rhein Fire in Week 7 and a place in the championship game on Saturday June 12 is guaranteed.

If they do emerge victorious over the Fire on Sunday afternoon, the Thunder will reach World Bowl for the third time in the past four seasons.

And in reaching the championship game in Week 7, the Thunder would become the earliest qualifiers for World Bowl since NFL Europe abandoned its playoff system (1991-92) and having the first half champion host the title showdown (1995-97).

Here are the weeks when the first team to qualify for World Bowl since 1998 booked its berth:

2003 Frankfurt Galaxy Wk 9

2002 Rhein Fire Wk 9

2001 Barcelona Dragons Wk 8

2000 Rhein Fire/Scottish Claymores Wk 9

1999 Frankfurt Galaxy Wk 9

1998 Rhein Fire Wk 8

By beating the Fire, the worst Berlin could finish is 6-4 – and if they did that, Frankfurt would have won at least seven games as those clubs meet twice in the remaining four weeks of the season.

The only other teams that could be involved in a 6-4 tie would be Amsterdam, whom Berlin have swept; Rhein, whom Berlin would have swept by winning on Sunday; or Cologne, over whom Berlin hold the points differential tiebreaker.

There are no possible two-team or multi-team tiebreakers in which Berlin could lose out. If however, Berlin loses to Rhein, then it will not be as simple as the Thunder needing to get to six wins – as they could lose out to the Fire in tiebreakers.

Berlin head coach RICK LANTZ says: “This is obviously our biggest game of the season to date but we will try to approach it like any other week. I hope the fans come out to the game in large numbers to cheer us on as we bid to reach World Bowl. It will give our players a real lift to see a big crowd on hand at the Olympic Stadium.”

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK feels his team can still reach World Bowl, as he explains: “I feel like we have a good opportunity to get to there because we still have to play the top teams. We can add a loss to their records by doing a good job against them.”.”

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 3

Stoerner joins all-time leaders

BY completing 11 passes during his team’s 20-13 loss to the Rhein Fire in Week 6, Amsterdam Admirals quarterback CLINT STOERNER moved into joint third place on the all-time completions list (271), drawing level with ANDY KELLY (Rhein 1995-96).

Allocated by the Miami Dolphins, Stoerner is in his second spell in NFL Europe, having played for the Scottish Claymores in 2001.

With four regular season games remaining, Stoerner has a chance to etch his name into the record books in several career passing categories.

Here is a look at some of the marks Stoerner is closing in on:

Career Attempts: 582 Stan Gelbaugh (Lon 1991-92)

521 Kevin Daft (Sco 2000/Ams 2002) 522 504 Mike Perez (Frank 1991-92) 505 475 Clint Stoerner (Sco 2001/Ams 2004)

Career Comps: 336 Stan Gelbaugh (Lon 1991-92)

308 Kevin Daft (Sco 2000/Ams 2002) 309 271 Andy Kelly (Rhe 1995-96) 272 Clint Stoerner (Sco 2001/Ams 2004)

Career Yards: 4,621 Stan Gelbaugh (Lon 1991-92)

3,424 Kevin Daft (Sco 2000/Ams 2002)

3,422 Pat Barnes (Frank 1999-00)

3,035 Clint Stoerner (Sco 2001/Ams 2004)

Stoerner now boasts career figures of 271 completions from 475 attempts for 3,035 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Same opponent for Bicknell

THE Scottish Claymores face the Frankfurt Galaxy for the second week in a row in Week 7 but facing the same opponent on back-to-back weekends is nothing new for Scotland boss JACK BICKNELL.

Bicknell has faced opponents on consecutive weekends an NFLEL-high 14 times prior to last week’s meeting with Frankfurt. In those games, Bicknell-coached teams have gone 8-6.

Bicknell says: “It is always tough to play a team twice in a row but even more so given how much our guys are hurting right now.”

By contrast, Frankfurt’s MIKE JONES is facing an opponent on back-to-back weekends for the first time as an NFLEL head coach.

He says: “The Claymores have a really tough defense and playing a team like that two weeks in a row means our work is cut out for us. We need to study film and find some things we can take advantage of.”

Hart kicks his way to top of NFLEL points-scoring tree

THE Scottish Claymores may have fallen to their fifth defeat of the season against Frankfurt on Sunday but they did have one reason to be cheerful as English kicker ROB HART became the all-time leading points scorer in NFL Europe.

In the sixth week of his seventh season, Hart scored 7 points to take his career total to 333, surpassing JESUS ANGOY, who scored 329 points for the Barcelona Dragons from 1997-2003.

Hart moved past Angoy in the second quarter as he successfully converted a 43-yard field goal. The successful kick was greeted with huge cheers by 9,017 Claymores fans at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Hart says: “It is a bit of a hollow feeling. It is nice to get any record but it isn’t nice to see the team lose. I would take those field goals back and turn them into PATs if it meant the team would have won the game.

“But it is still nice to be kicking field goals and contributing to the team. The record was always going to come and has been hanging over me for a while now, but I would swap any record for a victory.”

All-time leading scorers in NFLEL history

333 Rob Hart (Eng 1998/Scot 1999-current) 334 329 Jesus Angoy (Bar 1997-2003) 330 311 Ralf Kleinmann (Fra 1995-2000, 2003-current)

(Bold indicates player is still active)

Claymores general manager STEVE LIVINGSTONE paid tribute to his barefooted kicker when he said: “Rob’s contribution to the Claymores, and before that the Monarchs, has been immense. He is a great ambassador for the NFL Europe League.

“To eclipse Jesus Angoy’s record is a huge achievement and is a reflection of how consistent he has been down the years. He is a fan favourite and I am sure that I speak for all the fans in congratulating him for getting the record and I hope he goes on to add to it.”

NFLEL FACTS:Close calls

ALL three games in Week 6 were decided by one score or less (8 points). It marked the second week in a row that all three games were decided by such a margin. Of the 18 games played to date, 12 have been decided by one score or less (8 points). Berlin have played in the most close games this season with five of their six contests to date being settled by six points or less.

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 4

Fast starts proving important keys to success in NFL Europe

GETTING off to a fast start each weekend is proving to be a successful recipe for teams in the NFL Europe League this season.

Of the 18 games played to date, 13 have been won by the team scoring the first touchdown of the game. There have also been 17 occasions this season where one team leads the other at halftime. Those teams leading at the break boast a 14-3 record in 2004.

The league-leading Frankfurt Galaxy have been the kings of the quick start in 2004, scoring the first touchdown in all six of their games played so far.

Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: “Scoring first is very important, especially when you go on the road. You know when you are playing away from home that you probably need to get in the end zone twice – and if you can get that first touchdown you have every chance of winning the game.”

Centurions enjoy change in fortune by winning close game

TRAILING 27-21 with 1:12 remaining in their Week 6 clash with the Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions players, coaches and fans could have been forgiven for thinking history was going to repeat itself.

Heading into the contest at RheinEnergieStadion, Berlin had won four of five games by one score or less (8 points) this season, while three of Cologne’s four defeats up to that point had been by one score or less.

But on this occasion, the Centurions won a close game by a 28-27 scoreline as quarterback RYAN VAN DYKE (New York Giants) threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver CARL MORRIS (Miami Dolphins) with one second remaining.

Thunder head coach PETER VAAS said: “The crowd really helped us during the game and it was an exciting win for everyone associated with the Centurions. This feels much better than losing and it was a tremendous effort on our part to come out on top.”

NFLEL FACTS: Scoreless leaders

THROUGH the opening six weeks of the 2004 season, the league’s leading rusher and leading receiver in terms of yardage have yet to score touchdowns in those categories. Cologne Centurions RB AVON COBOURNE (Detroit Lions) leads NFLEL with 401 rushing yards but has only scored once on a receiving touchdown. Amsterdam Admirals WR CHRIS HORN (Kansas City Chiefs) tops the league with 418 yards on 22 catches but has yet to find the end zone.

National stars shining bright

WITH the 2004 NFL Europe League season reaching a critical stage, home-grown national players are continuing to play key roles for their respective teams.

While wide receivers such as Amsterdam’s CARLOS ROSADO (Mexico), Berlin’s JÖRG HECKENBACH (Germany) and Scotland’s SCOTT McCREADY have all found the end zone at varying points of strong 2004 campaigns, it was an offensive lineman who received the healthiest dose of plaudits in Week 6.

German guard PETER HEYER – who spent the summer of 2003 in training camp with the New Orleans Saints – made his first professional start for the Rhein Fire in Week 6, helping his team to a 20-13 defeat of the Amsterdam Admirals. After paving the way for Fire running backs to gain 121 yards on Sunday, Heyer drew praise from head coach PETE KUHARCHEK, who said: “Peter Heyer definitely helped us on the offensive line. He did good things out there and was a big factor in today’s game.

“You have to remember that was his first start in NFL Europe and he never started a game in major college football, so he really rose to the occasion.”

Fire quarterback CHAD HUTCHINSON (Dallas Cowboys) added: “It was a big help having Peter Heyer on the offensive line and he really solidified that group. It was awesome to be able to run the ball today and do some different things like play action passes. We could do that because Peter and those guys were giving us the time we needed up front.”

NFL Europe Director of Game Development TONY ALLEN, who oversees the national player program, says: “The talent level of national players continues to get better every year and I feel we are on the right track. I would also like to pay tribute to the coaching staffs at all six NFLEL teams for the work they do with the national players.”

Claymores set unwanted record

THE Scottish Claymores’ offensive woes reached a record low in their Week 6 loss to Frankfurt, as JACK BICKNELL’s team rushed for just 12 yards on 9 carries.

The previous low was 13 rushing yards set by Barcelona against Scotland in 1996 and Amsterdam against Frankfurt in 1998.

The Claymores have scored 46 points and 5 touchdowns in six games this season and are on pace to set record lows in each category (Barcelona scored 104 points and 10 touchdowns in 1992).

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 5

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-4)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (14-22 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Darryl Sims (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 48-48

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 13-20 at Rhein Fire (5/9/04)

OFFENSE: 15.67 pts/game; 326.5 yds/game (rank 3); 90.8 yds rush/game (rank 4); 235.7 yds pass/game (rank 1)

Passing: Clint Stoerner, 1,169 yards

Rushing: Chris Downs, 256 yards

Receiving: Chris Taylor 24 rec; Chris Horn 312 yards

DEFENSE: 22 pts/game; 349.2 yds/game (rank 6); 131.8 rush yds/game (rank 6); 217.3 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Sacks: Charles Alston, 3.0

Interceptions: Todd Howard, 2

· THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE ·

Head coach BART ANDRUS looks to get team back on track after last week’s loss against Rhein. He says: “We didn’t play a good game, but the one positive I can take from the Fire game is that this group did not give up at any time. That speaks well for the overall character of this team.” … QB CLINT STOERNER (Miami Dolphins) has started all six games for the Admirals. With 271 career completions in NFLEL the ex-Claymores man is tied with ex-Fire QB Andy Kelly (1995-96) for third all-time. With 30 more pass attempts he will overtake the total of 504 by Mike Perez (Frankfurt 91-92) for third all-time. With 3,035 career yards he needs 387 yards to tie Pat Barnes (Frankfurt 1999-2000) for third place in career yardage.… QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Washington Redskins) completed 7 of 13 attempts for 146 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception, his first TD pass of the season… RB CHRIS DOWNS (Oakland Raiders) leads Amsterdam with 256 rushing yards but was held to 10 yards on 5 carries last week, as well as catching a 12-yard pass, his 17th reception of the year… RB JASON ANDERSON (Houston Texans) caught 3 passes for 54 yards last week… WR CHRIS HORN (Kansas City Chiefs) leads NFL Europe in receiving yards (see table) but is still to score a touchdown… WR CHRIS TAYLOR (Houston Texans) led the team with 5 catches for 45 yards and 1 TD last week to lead the team with 24 catches, including a team-high 3 TDs … Mexican WR CARLOS ROSADO caught 2 passes for 20 yards last week for a season total of 16 catches … TE TONY DONALD (Green Bay Packers) leads NFLEL tight ends in receptions (see table)… DE CHARLES ALSTON (Atlanta Falcons) posted 7 tackles last week and has 31 for the season. He had his third sack of the year last week… LB JERRY SCHUMACHER (Chicago Bears) has recorded 22 tackles for the season… Japanese LB RIKIYA ISHIDA posted the first sack of his NFLEL careeer last week and made 6 tackles, giving him 17 for the season… LB DREW WAHLROOS posted 4 tackles last week for 20 on

the season, including 2 sacks…. CB TODD HOWARD leads the team with 2 interceptions… S JASON PERRY (New England Patriots) leads team with 44 tackles after posting a team-high 10 last week, including his first sack of the season… S WILLIE PILE (Kansas City Chiefs) had 8 tackles last week to rank second on team with 34 this season… DT JA’WAREN BLAIR posted his second sack of the year last week…. Dutch kicker SILVIO DILBERTO is in his eighth NFLEL season and has a club record 269 points to his name after kicking FGs of 24 and 25 yards and 1 PAT.… K TODD SIEVERS (Houston Texans) kicked game-winning FGs in Week 3 and 4, Admirals’ only two wins this season, but failed on both FG attempts last week, from 41 and 53 yards

QB CLINT STOERNER (Miami Dolphins), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Frank 25 14 158 1 3

Wk 2: vs Ber 41 30 329 1 0

Wk 3: at Sco 18 8 81 0 0

Wk 4: vs Frank 34 19 219 1 0

Wk 5: at Ber 32 18 249 3 1

Wk 6: at Rhe 18 11 122 0 0

TOTAL 168 100 1,169 6 4

WR CHRIS HORN (Kansas City Chiefs), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Frank 5 73 0

Wk 2: vs. Ber 5 78 0

Wk 3: at Sco 2 31 0

Wk 4: vs Frank 4 70 0

Wk 5: at Ber 3 60 0

Wk 6: at Rhe 3 106 0

TOTAL 22 418* 0

*Leads NFLEL

TE TONY DONALD (Green Bay Packers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Frank 5 65 1

Wk 2: vs. Ber 4 38 0

Wk 3: at Sco 1 13 0

Wk 4: vs Frank 5 55 1

Wk 5: at Ber 2 40 1

Wk 6: at Rhe 4 31 0

TOTAL 21 242 3

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 6

BERLIN THUNDER (5-1)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (5-1 in NFLEL)Colours: Black, green and gold OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jim Tomsula (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 27-29

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: Lost 27-28 at Cologne (5/8/04)

OFFENSE: 26.17 pts/game; 316 yds/game (rank 4); 110 rush yds/game (rank 3); 206 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Passing: Rohan Davey, 1,028 yards

Rushing: Eric McCoo, 314 yards

Receiving: Chas Gessner 19 rec, 309 yards

DEFENSE: 21.5 pts/game; 335yds/game (rank 5); 82 rush yds/game (rank 3); 253 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Sacks: Corey Smith, 6.0

Interceptions: Keith Davis, 3

· THIS WEEK: vs RHEIN FIRE ·

Berlin head coach RICK LANTZ says his team’s approach will not change following first loss of season last week against Cologne – a result that still leaves Thunder in position to clinch their third World Bowl berth in four years with victory against Rhein in Week 7. “Our aim in every game we play is to be in a position to win it in the fourth quarter. We did that last week but could not get it done.”… QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots) had his least productive day of the season since Week 1 last week. His 108.2 rating keeps him on course to set NFLEL single-season record. Tied for league lead with 12 TD passes (see table). Led fourth-quarter comeback against Rhein in Week 4 … QB DAVID RIVERS has a passer rating of 99.7 on 15 of 21 completions for 112 yards and 1 TD… QB MARC DUNN completed 1 of 4 passes for 11 yards with 1 interception last week… RB ERIC McCOO remains the team’s leading rusher after gaining 88 yards on 14 carries last week, including 2 TDs. Also caught 2 passes for 6 yards. His one other TD this season was against Rhein in Week 4, when he rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries and scored game-winning TD on 3-yard run… RB RAY JACKSON (Tennessee Titans) rushed 5 times for 25 yards last week. He rushed 11 times for 48 yards and caught 2 passes for 10 yards against Rhein this year… WR CHAS GESSNER (New England Patriots) ended three game scoring drought last week and had his most productive day of the season (see table).… German WR JÖRG HECKENBACH is the club’s all-time leading receiver with 68 catches. Has 6 receptions for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns to his name this year… WR AARON BOONE (Chicago Bears) had 3 catches for 59 yards against Rhein this year… WR RICHARD ALSTON (Cleveland Browns) remains joint league leader in receiving touchdowns (see table).… TE MIKE PINKARD (Kansas City Chiefs) has 12 receptions this season, including 1 for 25 yards against Rhein. Did not make a catch last week…. FB ED IEREMIA-STANSBURY (Houston Texans) caught 4 passes for 34 yards against Rhein in Week 4, including a 4-yard TD…. WR LASHAUN WARD (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 2 passes for 18 yards last week… DE COREY SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) is third in the league with 6 sacks… DE T.J. BINGHAM registered 3 tackles last week… LB BRENDEN GIVAN (Miami Dolphins) leads the Thunder with 45 tackles after registering 7 against the Centurions last week…

LB LAWRENCE FLUGENCE (New England Patriots) posted 6 tackles and a sack last week and now has 31 stops this season … LB JASON KAZAR had 4 tackles last week for a total of 30.… CB WILLIE FORD (Kansas City Chiefs) had one of his 2 interceptions this season against Rhein in Week 4. Posted 4 tackles last week… CB OLIVER CELESTIN made 3 tackles last week and forced a fumble… S KEITH DAVIS (Dallas Cowboys) has 3 interceptions in the last two games after posting 2 picks on successive series in the fourth quarter last week. Added 3 tackles for 40 on the season and 3 knockdowns… S SCOTT FARLEY (New England Patriots) has 24 tackles after adding 3 stops last week. Also recovered a fumble… Danish K HEINZ QUAST ranks fourth among kickers with 22 points after 2 PATs and a 22-yard FG last week, his first FG attempt in the NFLEL…. Kicker JONATHAN RUFFIN (Dallas Cowboys) made a 46-yard FG last week and is 3 of 4 on the season.

QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Scot 14 8 106 0 0

Wk 2: at Ams 18 12 164 2 0

Wk 3: vs Col 27 19 279 4 1

Wk 4: at Rhe 26 17 198 1 2

Wk 5: vs Ams 17 10 149 4 0

Wk 6: at Col 24 10 132 1 0

TOTAL 126 76 1,028 12* 3

* Jointly leads NFLEL

WR CHAS GESSNER (New England Patriots), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Scot 4 37 1

Wk 2: at Ams 4 77 2

Wk 3: vs Col 2 42 0

Wk 4: at Rhe 2 25 0

Wk 5: vs Ams 2 30 0

Wk 6: at Col 5 98 1

TOTAL 19 309 4*

* Jointly leads NFLEL

WR RICHARD ALSTON (Cleveland Browns), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Scot 0 0 0

Wk 2: at Ams 1 3 0

Wk 3: vs Col 5 123 2

Wk 4: at Rhe 2 26 0

Wk 5: vs Ams 6 84 2

Wk 6: at Col 2 21 0

TOTAL 16 257 4*

* Jointly leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 7

COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-4)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (21-25 inNFLEL, plus 2-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, red and white OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Bicknell (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: David Duggan (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 2-4

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 28-27 vs Berlin (5/8/04)

OFFENSE: 21.33 pts/game; 347.8 yds/game (rank 1); 115.8 yds rush/game (rank 2); 232 yds pass/game (rank 2)

Passing: Ryan Van Dyke, 1,358 yards

Rushing: Avon Cobourne, 341 yards

Receiving: Reggie Newhouse 18 rec, Carl Morris 276 yards

DEFENSE: 22.5 pts/game; 273.2 yds/game (rank 2); 95 rush yds/game (rank 4); 178.7 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Sacks: Felipe Claybrooks, 4.5

Interceptions: Four players, 1

· THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·

The Centurions are back in the World Bowl hunt after becoming first team to beat Berlin last week. Head coach PETER VAAS says: “It was a big win last week for the city of Cologne, the fans and the players. They went out and grabbed it and now we want to build on that.”… Starting QB RYAN VAN DYKE (New York Giants) threw the game-winning TD pass with one second left last week after seeing two fourth-quarter interceptions converted into points. He threw a season-high 4 TD passes and Vaas says: “It wasn’t Ryan’s best game but he hung in there and competed like the blazes.” Leads league in yards, completions, TDs, interceptions and ranks third with 92.5 passer rating… RB AVON COBOURNE (Detroit Lions) leads NFL Europe in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage (see table). He is still waiting for first TD since Week 1 and has not yet scored a rushing TD this season…. RB ANTWON McCRAY carried 8 times for 12 yards last week and caught 4 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown last week…. WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE (Arizona Cardinals) leads the team with 27 catches after posting 9 for 103 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown, last week… WR CARL MORRIS (Miami Dolphins) leads the team in receiving yards (see table). Caught game-winning 1-yard TD with 0:01 remaining last week… WR TODD DEVOE (Baltimore Ravens) caught 5 passes for 56 yards last week, including his third TD of the season…. WR ALBERT JOHNSON (Houston Texans) gained 44 yards on 2 receptions last week, ran back 3 kickoffs for 51 yards and returned 4 punts for 29 yards… WR BEN NELSON (Minnesota Vikings) has caught 8 passes for 115 yards this season but did not make a catch last week… Cologne native TE WERNER HIPPLER is still waiting to make his first career catch as a Centurion. Coach Vaas says: “He needs to play more than he has been. He is a valuable part of our team and our community.”… Mexican WR MARCO MARTOS has scored 9 career touchdowns but all were in his first three seasons in NFLEL (1997-99). Career totals of 68 receptions for 916 yards. Needs 84 receiving yards to

become just the second national player in NFLEL history to gain 1,000 yards. Is the all-time NFLEL leader with 53 kickoff returns, including 3 last week for 58 yards. With 993 career kickoff return yards he ranks second all-time and is poised to become second man to top 1,000. He is 110 yards behind record-holder Jordan Younger (1,103 for Rhein 2001-03)… TE MARK INKROTT (New York Giants) caught 1 pass for 18 yards last week… DE FELIPE CLAYBROOKS (Cleveland Browns) leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Posted 3 tackles last week … DE DEMETRIC EVANS has 19 tackles and 2 sacks this season after recording 5 tackles last week… LB BOBBY BROOKS (Oakland Raiders) posted 5 tackles last week and leads Cologne with 34 stops this season… French LB CEDRIC COTAR has made 9 stops on defense this term… CB ERWIN SWINEY (Green Bay Packers) posted 3 tackles and defended 2 passes last week…. Safety RICHARD NEWSOME made 4 tackles and posted his first interception of the year last week… CB EILL HUNTER posted 5 tackles last week…. Swedish K OLA KIMRIN has yet to miss a kick this season, connecting on 4/4 field goals and 14/14 PATs. Made game-winning PAT with one second left last week. Jointly leads all kickers with 26 points.

QB RYAN VAN DYKE New York Giants ), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Rhein 24 18 240 2 0

Wk 2: vs Frank 27 12 99 0 3

Wk 3: at Berlin 31 19 229 3 2

Wk 4: vs Sco 18 15 159 2 0

Wk 5: at Frank 34 20 254 1 1

Wk 6: vs Ber 42 31 377 4 2

TOTAL 176* 115* 1,358* 12** 8*

* Leads NFLEL

** Jointly leads NFLEL

RB AVON COBOURNE (Detroit Lions), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Rhein 16 45 0 3 34 1

Wk 2: vs Frank 14 65 0 3 42 0

Wk 3: at Berlin 16 85 0 2 25 0

Wk 4: vs Sco 18 116 0 3 15 0

Wk 5: at Frank 10 30 0 1 7 0

Wk 6: vs Ber 14 60 0 7 65 0

TOTAL 88 401* 0 19 188 1

* Leads NFLEL

WR CARL MORRIS (Miami Dolphins), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Rhein 4 50 0

Wk 2: vs Frank 3 53 1

Wk 3: at Berlin 5 75 2

Wk 4: vs Sco 1 8 0

Wk 5: at Frank 4 90 0

Wk 6: vs Ber 3 50 1

TOTAL 20 326 4*

* Jointly leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 8

FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-1)Head Coach: Mike Jones (5-1) in NFLELColours: Purple, orange, red and white OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dwain Painter (4th season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O’Neil (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 63-53

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: Won 15-13 at Scotland (5/9/04)

OFFENSE: 23 pts/game; 339.8 yds/game (rank 2); 142.8 rush yds/game (rank 1); 197 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Passing: J.T. O’Sullivan, 1,119 yards

Rushing: Skip Hicks, 335 yards

Receiving: Drew Haddad, 21 rec, 297 yards

DEFENSE: 13.66 pts/game; 280.2 yds/game (rank 3); 80 rush yds/game (rank 2); 200.2 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Sacks: Bobby Setzer, 7.0

Interceptions: Lynaris Elpheage, 2

· THIS WEEK: vs SCOTTISH CLAYMORES ·

The Galaxy moved another short step closer to successfully defending their World Bowl crown with a hard-fought victory in Scotland. Head coach MIKE JONES says of his team’s final run-in, which features two games against Berlin and one against 3-3 rivals Rhein: “Our focus is certainly not on what Berlin or other teams are doing. We need to look at playing Scotland again next week, and not beyond that.”… QB J.T. O’SULLIVAN (New Orleans Saints) has started all six games this season for the Galaxy (see table) and is the league’s second-ranked passer with a rating of 92.6. Added 53 rushing yards on 6 carries last week, prompting Jones to say: “J.T. made some big plays with his legs in Scotland. He had to take off with the pressure they were bringing in the pocket.”… QB KIRK FARMER (Kansas City Chiefs) completed 2 of 4 attempts for 17 yards in Week 6 and has completed 12 of 24 passes for 122 yards this season … RB SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals) leads the Galaxy in rushing (see table) and ranks second in NFLEL in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage (519). Was held without a TD for first time this season last week… FB COREY McINTYRE scored his second touchdown in as many games last week on a 3-yard pass from O’Sullivan. Has rushed for 76 yards and a TD on 12 carries this season and added 13 catches for 93 yards and a TD… WR DREW HADDAD (Indianapolis Colts) is Frankfurt’s leading receiver (see table) and enjoyed his first 100-yard day of the season last week… French WR MARC SOUMAH has 1 catch for 6 yards this season, taking his career reception total to 38… WR DERRICK LEWIS (New Orleans Saints) grabbed 2 passes for 39 yards last week, taking his season total to 236 yards on 15 receptions. Also rushed twice for 16 yards last week… WR JASON WILLIS (Seattle Seahawks) caught 2 passes for 26 yards last week… WR JERMAINE LEWIS (Houston Texans) has averaged 18.0 yards on his 5 receptions this season… TE CHAD HAYES caught a 21-yard pass last week and has 5 receptions for 53 yards this season… DE BOBBY SETZER (Oakland Raiders) had his streak of recording a sack in every game ended at five last week. It was the third-longest sack streak in

NFLEL history behind Barcelona’s Josh Taves (7 in 1998) and Berlin’s Mike Sutton and Scotland’s Chris Ward (6 in 2000 and 2001 respectively). Still leads NFLEL with 7 quarterback sacks among his 22 tackles this season … DE COREY JACKSON (Cleveland Browns) ranks second on the Galaxy with 6.5 sacks after recording one and a half sacks in Scotland last week and batting down a pass… DT CLENTON BALLARD (San Diego Chargers) had his second sack of 2004 in Scotland last weekend… German DT DANIEL BENETKA registered his first half sack of the season against the Claymores last week and has recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble this year… DT AUBRAYO FRANKLIN (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 1 tackle last week and has 9 this season… LB MASON UNCK (Cleveland Browns) ranks second on the team with 35 tackles after adding a Galaxy-leading 6 stops last week… LB DUSTIN COHEN made 5 tackles last week and registered his seventh special teams tackle of this season… LB ASA FRANCIS (Buffalo Bills) recorded 2 tackles and 1 special teams stop against the Claymores… CB LYNARIS ELPHEAGE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads the Galaxy with 2 interceptions and tops NFL Europe with 15 passes defended. Registered 4 tackles and 1 pass defense vs Scotland last week… CB AHMAD BROOKS (New Orleans Saints) leads the team with 37 tackles after adding 2 last week…. S CHRIS BROWN (Jacksonville Jaguars) posted 3 tackles last week… S RICKY SHARPE (Cleveland Browns) registered 1 tackle last week, taking his season total to 21… S RALPH PARENT has made 8 tackles on the season… K RALF KLEINMANN has 311 career points for third place on the all-time scoring list after adding a 32-yard field goal in Scotland. Tied with Scotland’s Rob Hart for career lead in converted field goals (57).

QB J.T. O’SULLIVAN (New Orelans Saints ), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Amst 16 10 148 1 0

Wk 2: at Col 18 11 85 0 0

Wk 3: vs Rhein 27 18 225 2 0

Wk 4: at Amst 34 20 276 2 1

Wk 5: vs Col 31 17 193 1 0

Wk 6: at Scot 25 14 192 1 1

TOTAL 151 90 1119 7 2

RB SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Amst 20 86 1 1 7 0

Wk 2: at Col 8 25 1 0 0 0

Wk 3: vs Rhein 17 40 2 4 29 1

Wk 4: at Amst 23 74 0 7 138 1

Wk 5: vs Col 14 46 1 2 1 0

Wk 6: at Scot 23 64 0 3 9 0

TOTAL 105 335 5 17 184 2

WR DREW HADDAD , GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Amst 4 37 0

Wk 2: at Col 1 14 1

Wk 3: vs Rhein 5 93 1

Wk 4: at Amst 4 41 0

Wk 5: vs Col 2 12 0

Wk 6: at Scot 5 100 0

TOTAL 21 297 2

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 9

RHEIN FIRE (3-3)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (21-15 in NFLEL, 0-2 in World Bowls)Colours: Burgundy, black and white OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 54-42

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 20-13 vs. Amsterdam (5/9/04)

OFFENSE: 18.2 pts/game; 242.8 yds/game (rank 5); 68 rush yds/game (rank 5); 174.8 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Passing: Chad Hutchinson, 950

Rushing: Joffrey Reynolds, 229 yards

Receiving: Willie Quinnie 31 rec, Adam Herzing 362 yards

DEFENSE: 16 pts/game; 285.3 yds/game (rank 4); 79.2 rush yds/game (rank 1); 206.2 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Sacks: David Nugent, 6.0

Interceptions: Abdual Howard, 3

· THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER ·

Fire head on the road looking for first win away from home this season against a Thunder team needing victory to book a place in World Bowl. Rhein goes into the game with a running attack that proved effective vs. Amsterdam coming to life after a slow start to the season. Head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: “You have no idea how important it is for us to be able to run the football. Everything we do as a team is based on us being able to run the football, and I don’t just mean offensively – it is our lifeblood. I was very pleased to see us get back on track in that area last week”… QB CHAD HUTCHINSON (Dallas Cowboys) has started all six games for the Fire this season (see table). Posted a QB rating of 129.1 against Amsterdam to win NFL Europe’s Offensive Player of the Week award … QB GREG ZOLMAN (Buffalo Bills) connected on 4 of 6 passes for 39 yards last week… RB JOFFREY REYNOLDS (Cleveland Browns) leads the team in rushing (see table) after gaining a season-high 75 yards on 13 carries against Amsterdam… RB RYAN BREWER carried 12 times for 48 yards last weekend and added a 4-yard reception…. WR ADAM HERZING (San Francisco 49ers) leads Rhein with 362 receiving yards this season. Last week he led the Fire with 108 receiving yards on 6 catches… WR WILLIE QUINNIE (Atlanta Falcons) leads the Fire in receptions (see table) and scored a touchdown for the first time in three games last week… WR SHOCKMAIN DAVIS (Green Bay Packers) caught 3 passes for 71 yards and scored on a 48-yard reception last week. Has 13 receptions for 187 yards this season… German WR CHRISTOPHER LIESS has made 3 catches for 14 yards this season… TE DWAYNE BLAKLEY (Tennessee Titans) did not catch a pass last week but has 13 grabs for 132 yards on the season… TE DANIEL WILCOX had 4 catches for 25 yards last week…. DE DAVID NUGENT (Oakland Raiders) leads the Fire with 6 sacks after adding 1 against Amsterdam last week. Has registered 17 tackles this season and forced a fumble… DE SEAN GUTHRIE (New York Giants) recorded his first 2 sacks of the season last week… DE RANDY GARNER notched 3

tackles and knocked down a pass last week… DT CEDRIC KILLINGS (Washington Redskins) recorded 3 tackles last week and has 17 tackles and 2 sacks this season… LB MAUGAULA TUITELE led the Fire with 6 tackles last week and has 25 on the season to rank fourth on the team… LB CHARLES BURTON ranks second on the Fire defense with 28 tackles after adding 2 last week… LB TERRENCE ROBINSON (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 2 tackles, 1 interception for 25 yards and 1 pass defense last week… CB TONY LUKINS (Seattle Seahawks) ranks fifth on the Fire squad with 21 tackles after adding 2 last week. Also knocked down 3 passes this season… CB EARTHWIND MORELAND has made 14 tackles and knocked down 6 passes this season… S ABDUAL HOWARD is tied for the league lead with 3 interceptions. Recorded 5 tackles and forced a fumble against Amsterdam last week… German S RICHARD YANCY has recorded 20 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defense in six games this season… K INGO ANDERBRÜGGE kicked a 21-yard field goal and 2 PATs last week, taking his points total to 26 this season – joint highest total among kickers in NFLE this spring… K MIKE SHAFER (Buffalo Bills) kicked a 36-yard field goal last week but was short on a 53-yard effort… P BROOKS BARNARD (Chicago Bears) averaged 34.3 yards on 3 punts last week. His net average of 35.7 leads NFL Europe.

QB CHAD HUTCHINSON (Dallas Cowboys), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Col 14 8 101 0 1

Wk 2: vs Sco 18 14 141 1 0

Wk 3: at Fra 22 12 128 1 0

Wk 4: vs Ber 27 16 172 0 1

Wk 5: at Sco 28 18 145 0 0

Wk 6: vs Ams 27 20 263 2 0

TOTAL 136 88 950 4 2

WR WILLIE QUINNIE (Atlanta Falcons), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Col 2 4 1

Wk 2: vs Sco 4 50 1

Wk 3: at Fra 5 46 0

Wk 4: vs Ber 5 48 0

Wk 5: at Sco 6 36 0

Wk 6: vs. Ams 9 92 1

TOTAL 31 276 3

RB JOFFREY REYNOLDS (Cleveland Browns), GAME-BY-GAME

No Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Col 15 58 0 1 14 0

Wk 2: vs Sco 13 31 2 2 13 0

Wk 3: at Fra 14 34 0 5 29 0

Wk 4: vs Ber 8 -4 1 2 20 0

Wk 5: at Sco 9 35 0 0 0 0

Wk 6: vs. Ams 13 75 0 1 2 0

TOTAL 72 229 3 11 78 0

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 – Page 10

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (1-5)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (60-56 in NFLEL, 2-5 in post-season)Colours: Navy, white and silver OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 42-54

MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Livingstone

Phone: 44-141-222-3801

Fax: 44-141-222-3828

E-mail: slivingstone@claymores.co.uk

Internet: www.claymores.com

LAST GAME: Lost 13-15 vs. Frankfurt (5/9/04)

OFFENSE: 7.66 pts/game; 211.3 yds/game (rank 6); 58.3 rush yds/game(rank 6); 153 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Passing: Nate Hybl, 578 yards

Rushing: Maurice Hicks, 141 yards

Receiving: Scott McCready, 32 rec 252 yards

DEFENSE: 16.3 pts/game; 261 yds/game (rank 1); 117.8 rush yds/game (rank 5); 261 pass yds/game (rank 1)

Sacks: Damian Gregory, 2.5

Interceptions: James Lewis, 1

· THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY ·

The Claymores saw a continuation of their offensive troubles last week as they rushed for an NFLEL record low 12 yards against the Galaxy and were held without an offensive touchdown. Preparing his team to face the Galaxy again this weekend, head coach JACK BICKNELL says: “We are not a normal offense right now. We self destruct at times and I can’t explain why. I couldn’t ask for more of my defense this season. They are the best defense I have been associated with.”… QB NATE HYBL (Cleveland Browns) has started all six games for the Claymores this season (see table). Threw for just 66 yards and was sacked twice last week… QB CURT ANES (Detroit Lions) split playing time with Hybl and completed 8 of 12 attempts for 84 yards. Has the higher passer rating of the two quarterbacks: 80.5 to Hybl’s 69.3… RB MAURICE HICKS (San Francisco 49ers) leads the Claymores in rushing (see table) but was held to 5 rushing yards and 1 catch for 7 yards last week… RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (Denver Broncos) carried 5 times for 5 yards last week and added 3 receptions for 14 yards.… English WR SCOTT McCREADY did not lead his team in receptions last week, marking the first time he has not done so this year (see table). Leads the league in receptions. He is bidding to become the first national player to led the league in a major individual non-kicking category.… Scottish WR SCOTT COUPER is the all-time receiving leader among national players with 104 catches for 1,121 yards and 12 touchdowns. Has 3 catches for 32 yards this season after reeling in a 13-yarder last week… WR RONALD BELLAMY (Miami Dolphins) caught 1 pass for 9 yards last week and has 9 receptions for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns this season… WR HERB HAYGOOD (Kansas City Chiefs) scored Scotland’s only touchdown of the game last week on a 95-yard kickoff return, earning him the NFL Europe League Special Teams Player of the Week prize. Also added 5 catches for 55 yards, giving him 10 for 100 on the year… TE MARCUS HELFMAN (San Francisco 49ers) caught a 29-yard pass last week and has 12 catches for

148 yards and a touchdown on the season… DE ROBERT FLICKINGER leads all nationals with 13.5 career sacks. Recorded 3 tackles last week, taking season tally to 11 tackles and 1 sack … DT CEDRIC SCOTT (Cleveland Browns) had 4 tackles last week and leads all Claymores defensive linemen with 25 stops on the season… DE DURRAND ROUNDTREE recorded 2 tackles and 1 sack during loss to Frankfurt last week… DE DAMIAN GREGORY posted half a sack and 8 tackles last week. It marked the third week in a row the defensive lineman recorded at least half a sack… DT ALAN HARPER (New York Jets) recorded 5 tackles and half a sack… LB JIMMY McCLAIN (Jacksonville Jaguars) led the Claymores with 11 tackles for the second week in a row in Week 6. Also had his second sack in as many weeks and now has 47 stops and 2 sacks on the season… LB RYAN MYERS (New York Jets) leads the Claymores with 48 tackles after adding 3 vs Frankfurt in Week 6… S THOMAS WRIGHT (Tennessee Titans) registered 3 tackles and knocked down a pass last week…. CB ALPHONSO ROUNDTREE (Miami Dolphins) had 2 tackles last week… CB BRAD FRANKLIN (Seattle Seahawks) had 5 tackles last week… CB KAHLIL CARTER (Buffalo Bills) registered 3 tackles last week… S JAMES LEWIS recorded Scotland’s first interception of the season last week and added 3 tackles and 1 pass defense… K ROB HART is the all-time leading scorer in NFLEL history after he took his career tally to 333 points (surpassing ex-Barcelona Dragon Jesus Angoy: 329 points) with 2 field goals (24 and 43 yards) and a PAT vs. Frankfurt last week. Tied with Frankfurt’s Ralf Kleinmann for lead in career field goals converted (57)…. P NICK MURPHY (Philadelphia Eagles) punted 6 times for a 41.5 average last week. Gross average of 40.6 this season leads NFL Europe.

QB NATE HYBL (Cleveland Browns), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Ber 24 17 147 1 0

Wk 2: at Rhe 19 13 111 0 1

Wk 3: vs Ams 14 7 45 0 1

Wk 4: at Col 22 10 89 0 0

Wk 5: vs Rhe 18 11 120 1 1

Wk 6: vs Frank 12 8 66 0 0

TOTAL 109 66 578 2 3

WR SCOTT McCREADY, GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Ber 11 67 1

Wk 2: at Rhe 4 31 0

Wk 3: vs Ams 4 35 0

Wk 4: at Col 4 51 0

Wk 5: vs Rhe 8 62 0

Wk 6: vs Frank 1 6 0

TOTAL 32* 252 1

RB MAURICE HICKS (San Francisco 49ers), GAME-BY-GAME

No Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Ber 4 24 0 1 8 0

Wk 2: at Rhe 5 23 0 2 8 0

Wk 3: vs Ams 12 59 0 1 7 0

Wk 4: at Col 3 1 0 3 22 0

Wk 5: vs Rhe 8 29 0 5 44 0

Wk 6: vs Frank 1 5 0 1 7 0

TOTAL 33 141 0 13 96 0

*Leads NFL Europe League

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 11

COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-4)

at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-4)

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Saturday May 15, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: First meeting between teams

At Amsterdam: First meeting between teams in Amsterdam

At Cologne: Teams meet in Cologne in Week 9

TELEVISION

Netherlands: HIGHLIGHTS/RTL 5 (Saturday May 22, p.m.)

Germany: LIVE/Premiere Sport 2 (7:00 p.m. CET)

US: LIVE/NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET) DELAY/8:00 p.m. ET

Play-by-play announcer BRIAN SEXTON will be joined in the broadcast booth by Jacksonville Jaguars tight end KYLE BRADY.

COACHES

PETER VAAS returns to the scene of his first World Bowl triumph in June, 2001. A year later, Vaas earned NFLEL Coach of the Year honors and led Berlin to a second World Bowl crown. Has yet to lead his team to victory on the road as head coach of the Cologne Centurions… BART ANDRUS is in his fourth season as head coach of the Admirals and is still chasing his first winning record in that time. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000.

GAME NOTES

Footballs could fill the air when the Admirals and Centurions meet for the first time in Week 7 as no other teams have thrown the ball as much as Amsterdam and Cologne. The Admirals have attempted 216 passes, while the Centurions have put it up on 191 occasions... The Admirals lead NFL Europe with 1,414 passing yards, while the Centurions rank second with 1,392 net passing yards… Throwing so much has had its risks for Amsterdam and Cologne. The Centurions have thrown a league-high 8 interceptions this season, while Amsterdam ranks second having thrown 6 interceptions… Both teams have struggled with turnovers in 2004. Amsterdam ranks fourth in NFLEL with a -4 ratio (12 giveaways to 8 takeaways). Cologne rates fifth with a -5 ratio (13 giveaways to 8 takeaways)… At 2-4, Amsterdam needs three wins in the final four games to avoid a record sixth losing season in a row. Amsterdam already holds the record for losing seasons in a row having posted five in successive years from 1999-2003… Last week’s loss in Rhein saw Amsterdam’s all-time franchise record slip to .500 for the first time in club history (48-48)… The Centurions have a 2-1 record on home soil this season but are 0-3 away from RheinEnergieStadion… In five seasons from 1997-2001, the Admirals lost just six games on home soil. In 12 games from 2002 to 2004, Amsterdam has lost seven times at home… Cologne boasts NFL Europe’s top-ranked offense, averaging 347.8 yards per game. They rank third in the league in touchdowns scored (16) and top NFL Europe in average time of possession (32:46) and average yards per play (5.7)… Cologne has NFL Europe’s second-ranked defense, although that unit has only come up with 7 sacks – lowest in NFLEL… The Centurions will look to add to their sack tally against an Admirals team that has given up 17 sacks this season – second-most in NFL Europe… Both clubs have enjoyed differing fortunes inside the 20-yard line this season. Cologne ranks second in red zone offense, scoring on 84.2 % of 19 visits inside the 20-yard line (11 touchdowns, 5 field goals). Amsterdam ranks fifth in red zone offense, scoring on 68.8 % of 16 visits inside the 20 (6 touchdowns, 5 field goals)… Cologne needs one more victory to tie the most in a season by a single expansion team. The only other single expansion teams were Berlin in 1999 (3 wins) and the Ohio Glory in 1992 (1 win).

RHEIN FIRE (3-3) at

BERLIN THUNDER (5-1)

Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Sunday May 16, 4:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Rhein leads 8-3 (Berlin leads 1-0 in postseason)

At Berlin: Rhein leads 3-2

At Rhein: Rhein leads 5-1

Streak: Berlin 1

This Season: Berlin 14 at Rhein 10 (Week 4)

TELEVISION

US: LIVE/DirecTV (10:00 a.m. ET) DELAY/NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET)

BILL JONES is joined in the broadcast booth by Oakland Raiders offensive lineman LINCOLN KENNEDY.

COACHES

RICK LANTZ is 5-1 as a rookie head coach with the Thunder. Served as linebackers coach for the Barcelona Dragons during the 2003 NFL Europe League season... PETE KUHARCHEK has a 3-1 regular season record against the Thunder but his team lost to Berlin in World Bowl X in 2002. In his fourth season as head coach of the Fire.

GAME NOTES

Berlin heads into this meeting with the Fire knowing victory will assure them of a berth in World Bowl XII and will make them the earliest qualifiers for the championship game since NFL Europe abandoned its playoff system (1991-92) and having the first half champion host World Bowl (1995-97)… The Thunder is chasing a third World Bowl crown in four seasons having won the championship game in 2001 and 2002… Berlin continues to have one of NFL Europe’s most effective passing attacks, leading the league in sacks allowed (5), yards per completion (12.85) and touchdowns (15)… Rhein will look to put pressure on Berlin’s passing attack by adding to their season sack total of 16, which has them ranked joint-second in NFL Europe… Rhein showed improvement in the running game in Week 6, averaging 4.0 yards per rush and gaining 121 yards. Prior to last week’s meeting with Amsterdam, Rhein had averaged 2.5 yards per rush while averaging 57.4 yards per game on the ground. Rhein is on pace to rush for 680 yards this season and that could see them come dangerously close to the all-time single season low of 650 rushing yards set by the Barcelona Dragons in 1992… Berlin ranks third in NFL Europe against the run, allowing opponents an average of 82 yards per game… The Fire has scored 3 touchdowns by return this season (2 kickoff, 1 interception) to lead NFL Europe in that area… Rhein needs 1 more kickoff return for a touchdown to tie its own single season record of 3 set in 2002… By winning against Amsterdam last week, Rhein improved to 3-1 at the Arena AufSchalke, guaranteeing a winning season at home for the eighth year in a row… Berlin has yet to lose at home this year, posting a 3-0 record at Olympic Stadium. Since moving to Olympic Stadium at the start of the 2003 campaign, Berlin has gone 5-3, winning four in a row at home, dating back to Week 10 of last season… Berlin’s defense ranks fifth in NFL Europe in yards allowed but second in NFLEL with 13 takeaways (7 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries)… Rhein’s fifth-ranked defense has come up with 10 takeaways this season – third in NFLEL… In last meeting between the teams, Rhein jumped out to a 10-0 lead courtesy of a 1-yard touchdown run by RB JOFFREY REYNOLDS and a 30-yard field goal by German K INGO ANDERBRÜGGE. Berlin launched a fourth quarter comeback and took the game with touchdowns coming on a 4-yard pass from QB ROHAN DAVEY to FB ED IEREMIA-STANSBURY and on a 3-yard run by RB ERIC McCOO.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / RECAP OF WEEK 6 NFL Europe 2004, Week 7 - Page 12

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (1-5)

at FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-1)

Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Sunday May 16, 4:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Frankfurt leads 11-8 (Scotland leads 1-0 in postseason)

At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 5-4

At Scotland: Frankfurt leads 6-4

Streak: Frankfurt 7

This season: Frankfurt 15 at Scotland 13 (Week 6)

TELEVISION

UK: DELAY/Sky Sports Xtra, 6:00 p.m. BST

US: LIVE/DirecTV (10:00 a.m. ET) DELAY/NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET)

Play-by-play analyst NICK HALLING is joined in the broadcast booth by Green Bay Packers safety DARREN SHARPER.

COACHES

JACK BICKNELL is in his 12th NFL Europe League season and has more regular season wins (60) than any other coach in league history. Has lost eight of his last nine games, stretching back to Week 8 of the 2003 season with the Barcelona Dragons… MIKE JONES is 5-1 as a rookie head coach. Won World Bowl rings with the Rhein Fire in 1998 and 2000. Played wide receiver in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints from 1983-89.

GAME NOTES

Teams meet for second week in a row with Frankfurt looking to extend their seven-game winning streak against the Claymores. Scotland last defeated the Galaxy in Week 1 of the 2001 season. The Claymores last won in Frankfurt in Week 2 of the 2000 campaign (17-14) and have lost on their last four visits to the Waldstadion (three regular season games from 2001-2003 and World Bowl 2000 vs. Rhein)… The Claymores will be looking to put together a much-improved offensive performance after gaining an NFLEL-record 12 rushing yards on 9 attempts last week against the Galaxy… Scotland’s sixth-ranked offense has been held with an offensive touchdown in four of six games this season and the unit has only found the end zone on 4 occasions this year… The Claymores have yet to score a rushing touchdown and they are on pace to set league record lows this season for points (104 by Barcelona in 1992) and touchdowns (10 by Barcelona in 1992). The Claymores have currently scored 46 points and 5 touchdowns this season… Scotland’s offensive line has conceded 17 sacks this season – second in NFLEL – and will be seriously tested by a Galaxy defense that leads the league with 17 sacks this season… By contrast, Scotland’s defense is the best in NFL Europe, allowing opponents just 143.2 yards per game… Frankfurt is gunning for a record sixth appearance in World Bowl. The club has already won the title more times than any other team, lifting the trophy in 1995, 1999 and 2003… Frankfurt boasts the number one rushing attack in NFL Europe, averaging 142.8 yards per game and scoring a league-high 9 touchdowns on the ground… Scotland’s defense ranks fifth in NFL Europe against the run (117.8 yards allowed per game)… Frankfurt leads NFL Europe with 17 takeaways this season (8 interceptions and 9 fumble recoveries) and has a +10 turnover ratio (17 takeaways to 7 giveaways)… In last week’s meeting, Frankfurt edged past the Claymores with three field goals and a lone touchdown coming on a 3-yard pass from QB J.T. O’SULLIVAN to FB COREY McINTYRE.

· WEEK SIX RECAP ·

Berlin Thunder 27, Cologne Centurions 28

(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 10,164)

Ryan Van Dyke (Centurions) 377 passing yards, 4 TD

Reggie Newhouse (Centurions) 9 rec, 103 yards, 1 TD

Keith Davis (Thunder) 3 tackles, 2 interceptions

Eric McCoo (Thunder) 88 rushing yards, 2 TD

Frankfurt Galaxy 15, Scottish Claymores 13

(Hampden Park, Glasgow. Attendance: 9,017)

Drew Haddad (Galaxy) 5 receptions, 100 yards

Rob Hart (Claymores) 2 of 2 FG, 1 PAT for 7 points

J.T. O’Sullivan (Galaxy) 192 passing yards, 1 TD

Amsterdam Admirals 13, Rhein Fire 20

(Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen. Att: 18,790)

Chad Hutchinson (Fire) 263 passing yards, 2 TD

Adam Herzing (Fire) 6 receptions, 108 yards

Chris Horn (Admirals) 3 receptions, 106 yards

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National Football League Europa Stories from May 11, 2004


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