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 National Football League Europa

Undefeated Thunder on top as season approaches halfway point

April 27, 2004 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release


THE Berlin Thunder (4-0) will aim to protect NFL EuropeÂ’s lone perfect record when they play host to the Amsterdam Admirals (2-2) on Sunday May 2 in Week 5 action.

The Thunder have blazed a trail through the opening four weeks of the 2004 season, defeating Scotland, Amsterdam, Cologne and Rhein to take sole possession of first place in the standings.

Also meeting on Sunday are the winless Scottish Claymores (0-4) and the Rhein Fire (2-2), who have lost two in a row since opening the year with a 2-0 record.

The Fire will look to end a five-game regular season losing streak in Scotland, while the Claymores need a win in order to keep their World Bowl dreams alive.

Prior to those Sunday clashes, the Cologne Centurions (1-3) – buoyed by last week’s first win in franchise history – will aim to close the gap on the Frankfurt Galaxy (3-1) in a Saturday night showdown in the Waldstadion. The Galaxy will aim to bounce back from last week’s overtime loss in Amsterdam.

In order to keep their undefeated streak alive in Week 4, the Berlin Thunder was forced to overcome a 10-point deficit heading into the final period against the Rhein Fire. After seeing his team complete the come-from-behind 14-10 victory, head coach RICK LANTZ said: “I would like to play better than we did at Rhein but I don’t know that we can win any better. It was a hard-fought victory and I am very proud of my boys.”

Standing in the way of the Thunder in Week 5 is an Amsterdam Admirals team that has climbed back into the World Bowl race with victories over Scotland and Frankfurt.

Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: “We are a better team than when we played Berlin in Week 2. Turnover-wise we have really taken care of the football the past few weeks. There are a lot of things we have to look at week to week and we will keep trying to get better.”

While the Admirals have won two in a row, the Rhein Fire has dropped its last two games after opening the year at 2-0. Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says of last week’s defeat at home to Berlin: “It was a disappointing loss. I think our players played hard but there were some key plays we had to make and didn’t. We now have to regroup and get better.”

The Fire will go up against a struggling Scottish Claymores team that has scored the fewest points in NFLEL history through the opening four weeks of a season (20).

Claymores head coach JACK BICKNELL says: “Obviously we are very frustrated because we haven’t been able to make things happen on the offensive side of the ball. We have got a lot of work ahead of us and I have to keep the team focused. Being 0-4 is not a good place to be.”

The Frankfurt Galaxy will aim to get back on track when they return home in Week 5 to host the Cologne Centurions. The Galaxy lost their unbeaten record in Amsterdam on Sunday but feel confident they can right the wrongs ahead of this weekend.

Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: “We will go back and look at the game tape from this week and hopefully there will be things we can iron out. We have to get back to playing the kind of football we were playing in the opening few games.”

The Centurions head to Frankfurt on the back of the first victory in franchise history and know another win this weekend will have them in the thick of the World Bowl race.

Cologne head coach PETER VAAS says: “I think we are a pretty decent football team. We will prepare as much as we can and play as hard as we can when we face Frankfurt this week. We will coach as intensely as we can and be ready for that game. We are looking forward to that challenge.”


WEEK FIVE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY MAY 1
Cologne Centurions at Frankfurt Galaxy
Waldstadion, Frankfurt, 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 2
Rhein Fire at Scottish Claymores
Hampden Park, Glasgow, 2:00 p.m.

Amsterdam Admirals at Berlin Thunder
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 4:00 p.m.


PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 4

OFFENSIVE · SKIP HICKS · RB, Frankfurt
74 rushing yards, 7 receptions for 138 yards and 1 TD

DEFENSIVE · COREY SMITH · DE, Berlin
4 tackles, 2 sacks for -33 yards, 1 forced fumble

SPECIAL TEAMS · TODD SIEVERS · K, Amsterdam
Kicked game-winning 51-yard FG as time expired

NATIONAL · RICHARD YANCY · S, Rhein
1 interception for 21 yards, 2 tackles, 1 pass defense


NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 2



Rare April wins have 4-0 Thunder plotting route to World Bowl XII

HEADING into the 2004 NFL Europe League season, the Berlin Thunder had won just three games in the month of April, posting a 3-11 mark from 1999-2003.

In the opening four games of the 2004 season – all of which have been played in April – the Thunder have won on each occasion and stand clear at the top of the standings having made the best start in franchise history.

That outstanding start has given the Thunder a very realistic shot at reaching World Bowl XII on Saturday June 12.

Berlin is the eighth team in league history to start a season with four straight wins. Of the other seven clubs, only the 2002 Frankfurt Galaxy failed to reach World Bowl.

Here is a look at how teams starting a season 4-0 have fared from 1991-2003:

Year Team Fared
2002 Frankfurt 6-4, missed World Bowl
2001 Barcelona 8-2, lost World Bowl
1998 Rhein 7-3, won World Bowl – streak to 6-0
1996 Frankfurt 6-4, lost World Bowl
1995 Amsterdam 9-1, lost World Bowl – streak to 7-0
1991 London 9-1, won World Bowl – streak to 9-0
1991 Barcelona 8-2, lost World Bowl

Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ says: “We are going to try to be 5-0 next week. If we win out, we will be back at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen for World Bowl. But our goal for now is to try to compete and win each game – we want to take them one at a time.

“I think our guys have the maturity as a team to not start worrying about World Bowl scenarios.”

NFLEL FACT: Record for Ralf

BY kicking a 22-yard field goal against the Amsterdam Admirals in Week 4, Frankfurt Galaxy kicker RALF KLEINMANN became NFL EuropeÂ’s all-time leader in converted field goals with the 56th of his career. Kleinmann also moved into third place on NFL EuropeÂ’s all-time scoring charts with 305 points.

NFLEL FACT:Running for glory

WHEN AVON COBOURNE rushed for 116 yards during the Cologne Centurions 17-3 defeat of the Scottish Claymores, he took the record of teams with a 100-yard rusher to 64-19 (.771) since 1995. By contrast, teams with 300-yard passers have a 15-21 mark (.416) in that time.


NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 3


More big plays than ever before

WHEN Frankfurt Galaxy running back SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals) took a pass from J.T. OÂ’SULLIVAN (New Orleans Saints) 72 yards to the end zone in Week 4 it should not have come as a big surprise.

The opening month of the 2004 NFL Europe League season has been littered with big plays. In fact, there have been 19 plays of 40 yards or more in the first four weeks of the season, surpassing the previous best of 15 in 1999.

Here is a look at the top five seasons in terms of plays covering 40 yards or more in the opening four weeks:

Season Plays 40+ yards
2004 19
1999 15
2002 13
2003 12
2001 12

Already this season, NFL Europe has seen a pair of 93-yard kickoff returns by ROBERÂ’ FREEMAN and SHOCKMAIN DAVIS, of the Rhein Fire, and passing plays covering 81, 72 and 66 yards.

Here are the five longest plays in NFL Europe this season:

RoberÂ’ Freeman (Rhein), 93-yd kickoff return TD
Shockmain Davis (Rhein), 93-yd kickoff return TD
Ryan Van Dyke (Cologne) to Todd Devoe, 81-yd pass
Abdual Howard (Rhein), 77-yd interception return TD
J.T. OÂ’Sullivan (Frankfurt) to Skip Hicks, 72-yd TD pass

Hart creeps closer to record

WITH the Scottish Claymores struggling to put points on the board this season, veteran English kicker ROB HART has been forced to wait a little longer than expected to etch his name in the NFL Europe League record books.

Barefoot kicker Hart has scored 8 points this season – second-lowest among national kickers – and still needs to notch 5 more points to become NFL Europe’s all-time leading scorer.

Hart kicked a 25-yard field goal against the Cologne Centurions in Week 4 to bring his career tally to 325, which ranks him second all time behind JESUS ANGOY, who scored 329 points for the Barcelona Dragons from 1997-2003.

Hart has kicked 2 of 3 field goals and 2 of 2 PATs this season.

Centurions grab first win

AFTER losing their opening three games of the season – two by a combined five points – the Cologne Centurions recorded the first victory in franchise history with a 17-3 defeat of the Scottish Claymores at RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday evening.

By winning that game in Week 4, the Centurions set a record for the earliest victory by a single expansion team.

There have only been two other occasions when a single expansion team has joined the existing league set up – the Ohio Glory in 1992 and the Berlin Thunder in 1999.

The Glory went 0-6 before finally winning in Week 7, while Berlin had to wait until Week 5 to emerge victorious after opening with four straight losses.

Centurions head coach PETER VAAS says: “In our other games we self destructed and we didn’t do that in the game against Scotland.

“We didn’t turn the ball over on offense and that was huge. Before you can win, you have to prevent yourselves from losing and we did that in this game.”

With victory against Scotland and a game against Frankfurt coming up, Cologne has the opportunity to get back into the World Bowl hunt by the seasonÂ’s midway point.

Vaas says: “As far as the rest of the season goes, I think we are a pretty decent football team – we just have to be more disciplined and continue to improve upon the things we have already done. Then we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Playmaking running backs go head to head in Week 5 action

WHEN the Cologne Centurions visit the Frankfurt Galaxy on Saturday evening to kick off the Week 5 action, fans will be able to monitor the skills of NFL EuropeÂ’s top two running backs.

Leading the Cologne ground attack will be AVON COBOURNE (Detroit Lions), while SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals) will spearhead the GalaxyÂ’s offensive effort.

Cobourne leads NFL Europe with 311 rushing yards, while Hicks ranks second with 225 yards. Cobourne leads the league with 427 total yards from scrimmage (311 rushing, 116 receiving), while Hicks ranks second in that department with 399 all-purpose yards (225 rushing and 174 receiving).

Hicks – who was named Offensive Player of Week 4 for a 212-yard day in Amsterdam – leads NFL Europe with 6 touchdowns in four games, while Cobourne has just 1 receiving score to his name.


NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 4


Claymores aim to save season with home edge over Rhein Fire

THE Scottish Claymores have yet to win a game in four attempts this season and have scored a league-low 20 points along the way.

It has been a tough start for Jack Bicknell’s club, but, if the history books are to be an accurate indicator, the Claymores face the perfect opponent in Week 5 as they aim to save their season – the Rhein Fire.

The Fire, who head into the contest on the back of a two-game losing streak, have not won in Scotland since 1998, losing five regular season games in a row.

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK has never won in Scotland and also saw his team lose World Bowl XI at Hampden Park last June to the Frankfurt Galaxy.

Kuharchek says: “We haven’t won in Scotland in a long time but we will be ready. We have an extra day to prepare for this trip and the players will have two days off to get some rest – I believe that will help us.

“We just haven’t played well there in the last few years. It is a long, tough trip to make but you can’t make those excuses because Scotland has to make that trip every time they play away from home.”

In order to overcome the Fire on Sunday, the Claymores will need to find some offensive production that has been sorely lacking this season.

Here are the lowest points totals in NFLEL history through the first four games of any season:

20 Scottish Claymores 2004
32 Birmingham Fire 1991
38 Sacramento Surge 1991
38 Ohio Glory 1992
44 Scottish Claymores 1995

The Claymores need to score 19 points in Week 5 to exceed the lowest five-week points total in NFLEL history (38 by the Ohio Glory in 1992).

One season after scoring the second-highest points total in league history (303), the Claymores need to score 85 points in their final six games (14.25 per game) to exceed the lowest points total in NFLEL history (104 by Barcelona Dragons in 1992).

Here is a look at the lowest points total in any three consecutive games in league history:

6 Scottish Claymores (Wks 2-4, 2004)
14 Montreal Machine (Wks 4-6, 1991)
18 Ohio Glory (Wks 1-3, 1992)

The Claymores are the first team in league history to fail to score a touchdown in three consecutive games.
Head coach JACK BICKNELL says: “We are working our butts off but not making any plays on offense.”

Overtime wins as time expires nothing new for the Admirals

BY defeating the Frankfurt Galaxy 21-17 courtesy of TODD SIEVERSÂ’ 51-yard field goal as time expired in overtime, the Amsterdam Admirals became the first team in league history to win two games in such fashion.

Prior to SundayÂ’s Week 4 victory in the Amsterdam ArenA, only two other NFL Europe League games had been decided by scores as time ran out at the end of the 10-minute overtime period.

And the Admirals were involved in one of those two contests, defeating the Rhein Fire in Week 7 of the 2001 season.

Here is a look at the three games in league history to be decided as time expired in overtime:

Season Result Scoring Play
2004, Wk 4 Ams 21-17 Fra T. Sievers 51 yd FG
2001, Wk 7 Ams 17-14 Rhe S. Diliberto 31 yd FG
1999, Wk 5 Bar 21-15 Fra L. Phillips 1 yd run

The manner in which Amsterdam won overtime games last weekend and in Week 7 of the 2001 season is eerily similar.

In 2001, the Admirals blocked three field goals by Fire kicker JAMES TUTHILL from 51, 44 and 48 yards inside the final two minutes of regulation and overtime before Dutch national SILVIO DILIBERTO connected from 31 yards out for the win.

On Sunday, Admirals cornerback DON McGEE blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Frankfurt’s RALF KLEINMANN with 1:02 remaining before Sievers – allocated to NFL Europe by the Houston Texans – kicked his four-point field goal from 51 yards to level Amsterdam’s record at 2-2.

Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: “It was a heck of a football game. Frankfurt came in looking good but our players came to play. That was a real treat and the game was really exciting at the end – which has become something of a standard in the NFL Europe League.

“There was a lot that went into that kick. The snap had to be good, the hold had to be good and it’s not only the guy kicking it. We have a kicker who can hit the long field goals and that proved to be the case against the Galaxy.”

Following his game-winning heroics, Sievers said: “That one will stick in my mind for quite a while. Whenever you miss one early, as I did, you can’t let it haunt you. You talk about it for a few seconds with your snapper and holder and then you move on. It all worked out well in the end.”



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


AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-2)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (14-20 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Darryl Sims (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 48-46

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: Won 21-17 (OT) vs Frankfurt (4/25/04)
OFFENSE: 17.3 pts/game; 321.7 yds/game (rank 4); 100.7 yds rush/game (rank 4); 221 yds pass/game (rank 2)
Passing: Clint Stoerner, 787 yards
Rushing: Chris Downs, 204 yards
Receiving: Chris Horn, 16 rec 252 yards
DEFENSE: 26.3 pts/game; 344.7 yds/game (rank 6); 135.5 rush yds/game (rank 6); 209.2 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Drew Wahlroos, Charles Alston, 2.0
Interceptions: Todd Howard, 2

· THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER ·

Head coach BART ANDRUS was full of praise for his team after they levelled their record at 2-2 with an overtime victory over Frankfurt. He said: “We have a good group of kids and I am excited for this team. If we continue to focus, we can become an even better team – we have never given up and I think we are going to finish this season strong.”… QB CLINT STOERNER (Miami Dolphins) leads NFL Europe in attempts, completions and yards (see table). Added 59 rushing yards last week. Threw for 329 yards in Week 2 loss to Berlin … QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Washington Redskins) completed 2 of 7 attempts for 50 yards and has hit on 12 of 25 passes for 154 yards this season… RB CHRIS DOWNS (Oakland Raiders) leads Amsterdam with 204 rushing yards after gaining a season-best 86 yards on 20 carries against Frankfurt. Also added 3 receptions for 32 yards… RB JASON ANDERSON (Houston Texans) rushed for 33 yards on 6 carries last week and added a 2-yard catch… WR CHRIS HORN (Kansas City Chiefs) leads NFL Europe in receiving yards (see table) but has yet to find the end zone… WR CHRIS TAYLOR (Houston Texans) caught 4 passes for 56 yards and has 14 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown this season… WR CARLOS ROSADO caught 2 passes for 48 yards last week, including a 34-yarder to set up the game-winning FG in overtime. Has 8 catches for 122 yards this season… TE TONY DONALD (Green Bay Packers) has more catches than any other tight end in the league (see table). Both TD receptions this season have come against Frankfurt… TE KANE ANDERSON (Minnesota Vikings) caught 1 pass for 12 yards last week and has 4 receptions for 30 yards on the season… DE CHARLES ALSTON (Atlanta Falcons) has a sack in each of his last two games after adding 1 sack for 2 yards last week. Also recorded 5 tackles and batted down 2 passes vs Frankfurt… DE DARRELL WRIGHT recorded 1 tackle and a fumble recovery last week… DT JA’WAREN BLAIR ranks second on Amsterdam’s squad with 21 tackles and 1 forced fumble after adding 6 tackles and 1 sack vs Frankfurt last weekend…

LB JERRY SCHUMACHER (Chicago Bears) recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack last week and has now recorded 17 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble this seasonÂ… Japanese LB RIKIYA ISHIDA registered 2 tackles last week, giving him 9 on defense in four games this seasonÂ… LB DREW WAHLROOS jointly leads the Admirals with 2 quarterback sacks this year. Added 1 tackle to his tally last weekÂ… CB TODD HOWARD jointly leads the league with 2 interceptions and has knocked down 2 passes and made 9 tackles this seasonÂ… S JASON PERRY (New England Patriots) leads the Admirals with 29 tackles after registering 5 stops and a forced fumble in Week 4Â… S WILLIE PILE (Kansas City Chiefs) ranks third on squad with 20 tackles after adding a team-high 6 stops and 2 pass defenses last weekÂ… CB LIGARIUS JENNINGS has 9 tackles this season after adding 3 in last weekÂ’s win over FrankfurtÂ… CB DON McGEE registered 3 tackles vs Frankfurt last week and blocked a potential game-winning field goal with 1:02 remainingÂ… CB NASHVILLE DYER (Pittsburgh Steelers) recorded 4 tackles, 1 interception and 2 pass defenses last weekÂ… Dutch kicker SILVIO DILBERTO is in his eighth NFLEL season and has a club record 259 points to his name after kicking a 32-yard field goal and 2 PATs last weekÂ… K TODD SIEVERS (Houston Texans) has kicked a game-winning FG in each of the last two games (44 yards at Scotland, 51 yards vs Frankfurt) and has been named Special Teams Player of the Week on each occasionÂ… P NATE FIKSE (San Francisco 49ers) averaged just 30.7 yards per punt on 7 kicks in Week 4.

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
TOTAL 118* 71* 787* 3 3

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
TOTAL 16 252* 0

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 44 1
TOTAL 15 160 2

* Leads NFL Europe League





TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 6


BERLIN THUNDER (4-0)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (4-0 in NFLEL)Colours: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jim Tomsula (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 26-28

MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak
Phone: 49-30-300-644-00
Fax: 49-30-300-644-77
E-mail: maik.matischak@berlin-thunder.de
Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de

LAST GAME: Won 14-10 at Rhein Fire (4/24/04)
OFFENSE: 24.2 pts/game; 329.2 yds/game (rank 2); 105.2 rush yds/game (rank 3); 224 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Passing: Rohan Davey, 747 yards
Rushing: Eric McCoo, 178 yards
Receiving: Chas Gessner, 12 rec, 181 yards
DEFENSE: 18 pts/game; 297 yds/game (rank 4); 74.7 rush yds/game (rank 5); 222.2 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Corey Smith, 5.0
Interceptions: Willie Ford, 2

· THIS WEEK: vs AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·

RICK LANTZ is 4-0 as a rookie head coach in NFLEL. Following his team’s Week 4 defeat of Rhein, Lantz is keeping his club focused, as he explained: “We won’t think about World Bowl yet – we are just going to concentrate on how to become 5-0.”.., QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots) has thrown a league-high 7 TD passes this season (see table) and has a league-leading passer rating of 106.3… QB MARC DUNN (Kansas City Chiefs) completed 1 of 2 passes for 7 yards last week… RB ERIC McCOO rushed for 40 yards and a game-winning touchdown last weekend and leads Berlin with 178 rushing yards this season. Caught 3 passes for 21 yards last week… RB RAY JACKSON (Tennessee Titans) rushed for a team-high 48 yards on 11 carries last week and added 2 receptions for 10 yards… WR CHAS GESSNER (New England Patriots) leads the league in receiving touchdowns but has not scored in the past two games (see table)… WR LASHAUN WARD (Kansas City Chiefs) returned 1 kickoff 19 yards last week… German WR JÖRG HECKENBACH is the club’s all-time leading receiver with 68 catches after adding 1 for 5 yards last week. Has 6 receptions for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns to his name this year and his 23.5 average is tops among NFLEL receivers with more than one catch this season… WR AARON BOONE (Chicago Bears) made his Thunder debut last week and caught 3 passes for 59 yards with a long of 45… WR RICHARD ALSTON (Cleveland Browns) caught 2 passes for 26 yards last week and also returned 1 kickoff 20 yards… TE MIKE PINKARD (Kansas City Chiefs) has 10 receptions for 153 yards to his name this season after grabbing a 25-yarder in Week 4… FB ED IEREMIA-STANSBURY (Houston Texans) led Berlin with 4 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown last weekend and has 8 receptions for 55 yards this season … DE COREY SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) jointly leads NFL Europe with 5 sacks after adding 4 tackles, 2 sacks for minus 33 yards and a forced fumble last week. Earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts against Rhein… DE T.J. BINGHAM recorded 1 tackle last week and has 10 tackles and 2 sacks this year… German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR has made 2 tackles, knocked down a pass and forced a fumble this season, drawing praise from head coach Lantz, who says: “Mohr is making progress every day.

He doesn’t just play on the national series – he is on the field as part of our regular defensive line rotation and doing a great job. I can’t tell you how hard he is working – I think he has a big future.”… DT DEVONTE PETERSON recorded 1 tackle last week and has 9 tackles and 1 sack this season… LB BRENDEN GIVAN (Miami Dolphins) leads Berlin with 27 tackles in four games. Has also knocked down 3 passes and recorded an interception… LB LAWRENCE FLUGENCE (New England Patriots) has made 18 tackles this year after adding 5 stops and 1 sack last week… LB KEVIN DeRONDE (Houston Texans) registered 3 tackles and his first sack of the season last week… LB JASON KAZAR ranked second on the Thunder with 5 tackles last week and recovered a fumble… CB WILLIE FORD (Kansas City Chiefs) jointly leads NFL Europe with 2 interceptions after adding his second pick in as many games last week. Has also made 14 tackles and knocked down 3 passes this season… CB OLIVER CELESTIN has made 13 tackles this season after adding 1 last week… CB JAMES THORNTON made 2 tackles in Week 4… S KEITH DAVIS (Dallas Cowboys) led Berlin with 6 tackles last weekend and ranks second on the team with 25 tackles and 2 pass defenses this season… S SCOTT FARLEY (New England Patriots) ranks third on the team with 18 tackles after adding 3 stops last week… Danish K HEINZ QUAST has scored 13 points this season after adding 2 PATs in Week 4. Still waiting to attempt first field goal of short NFLEL career… P HAYDEN EPSTEIN (Denver Broncos) punted 6 times for a 38.2-yard average at Rhein.

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
TOTAL 85 56 747 7 * 3

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
TOTAL 12 181 3*

* Leads NFL Europe League





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


COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-3)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (20-24 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: 1-3

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 17-3 vs Scotland (4/24/04)
OFFENSE: 20.75 pts/game; 324.8 yds/game (rank 3); 130.8 yds rush/game (rank 2); 194 yds pass/game (rank 4)
Passing: Ryan Van Dyke, 727 yards
Rushing: Avon Cobourne, 311 yards
Receiving: Reggie Newhouse 15 rec, Carl Morris 186 yards
DEFENSE: 21 pts/game; 257.8 yds/game (rank 2); 71 rush yds/game (rank 1); 186.8 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Felipe Claybrooks, 3.5
Interceptions: Three players, 1

· THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY ·

Centurions travel to Frankfurt on the back of first win in franchise history. Head coach PETER VAAS says: “I think we are a pretty decent football team. We just have to be more disciplined and continue to improve on the things we already have done. We’ll prepare as much as we can and play as hard as we can against Frankfurt.”… Starting QB RYAN VAN DYKE (New York Giants) is joint leader in NFLEL in touchdown passes (see table) and ranks third with 88.2 passer rating… QB ROB ADAMSON (Carolina Panthers) has seen action in two games, including completing 6 of 13 passes for 93 yards and 1 TD against Frankfurt in Week 2…. RB AVON COBOURNE (Detroit Lions) leads NFL Europe in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage (see table) and posted his first 100-yard rushing game last week…. RB ANTWON McCRAY gained 32 yards on 12 carries last week and caught 3 passes for 29 yards…. WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE (Arizona Cardinals) leads the team with 15 catches after posting 3 for 24 yards last week. Had a team-high 5 for 41 against Galaxy this season… WR CARL MORRIS (Miami Dolphins) leads the team in receiving yards (see table). Remains tied for league lead with 3 touchdown receptions… WR TODD DEVOE (Baltimore Ravens) caught 2 passes for 48 yards last week, scoring his first two TDs of the season…. WR ALBERT JOHNSON (Houston Texans) is averaging 22.8 yards on kickoff returns and caught 1 pass for 5 yards last week. Had 4 of his season total of 6 catches against Frankfurt (for 39 yards) in Week 2… Mexican WR MARCO MARTOS has scored 9 career touchdowns but all were in his first three seasons in NFLEL (1997-99). Career total of 68 receptions for 916 yards. Needs 84 receiving yards to become just the second national player in league history to reach the 1,000-yard barrier… WR BEN NELSON (Minnesota Vikings) caught 2 passes for 20 yards last week… TE MARK INKROTT (New York Giants) caught 1 pass for 8 yards last week, giving him 7 receptions for the season… Cologne native TE WERNER HIPPLER returns to the Waldstadion, where he played seven

seasons, winning three World Bowl rings. Caught 78 passes for 847 yards and 2 TDs during his Galaxy career but has yet to make his first catch as a Centurion. His first two career receptions (Week 10, 1995 at Barcelona) were for touchdowns but has not found the end zone sinceÂ… DE FELIPE CLAYBROOKS (Cleveland Browns) leads the team with 3.5 sacks, including 1 against Frankfurt in Week 2Â… DE DEMETRIC EVANS has 12 tackles this year after 2 last weekÂ… LB BOBBY BROOKS (Oakland Raiders) posted 5 tackles last week and leads Cologne with 20 stops this seasonÂ… LB MARCUS REESE (Chicago Bears) led the team with 7 tackles last week and ranks second on the team with 17 for the season.Â… French LB CEDRIC COTAR has made 8 stops on defense this termÂ… CB WILL HUNTER posted 6 tackles last weekÂ… CB ERWIN SWINEY (Green Bay Packers) posted 4 tackles and defended 2 passes last weekÂ… S ERIK TOTTEN made 5 tackles last weekÂ… CB MARCUS FLOYD (Carolina Panthers) knocked down 3 passes and posted 3 tackles last weekÂ… Swedish K OLA KIMRIN faces his former Galaxy team, for whom he played in 2001-2. Ranks third among kickers with 17 points this season and has yet to miss a kick (8/8 PATs, 3/3 FGs)Â… P STEVE CHEEK (Houston Texans) ranks fourth in NFLEL with a 38.2-yard average.

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
TOTAL 100 64 727 7* 5

* Tied NFLEL lead

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
TOTAL 64 311* 0 11 116 1

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
TOTAL 13 186 3*

* Tied NFLEL lead














TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 8


FRANKFURT GALAXY (3-1)Head Coach: Mike Jones (3-1) in NFLELColours: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dwain Painter (4th season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed OÂ’Neil (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 61-53

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: Lost 17-21 (OT) at Amsterdam (4/25/04)
OFFENSE: 24.7 pts/game; 331.7 yds/game (rank 1); 131.5 rush yds/game (rank 1); 200.2 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: J.T. OÂ’Sullivan, 734 yards
Rushing: Skip Hicks, 225 yards
Receiving: Drew Haddad, 14 rec, 185 yards
DEFENSE: 13 pts/game; 301.5 yds/game (rank 5); 99.2 rush yds/game (rank 4); 202.2 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Corey Jackson, 5
Interceptions: Lynaris Elpheage, 2

· THIS WEEK: vs. COLOGNE CENTURIONS ·

Galaxy will aim to recapture dominant early-season form as they attempt to get back on track following last week’s loss in Amsterdam. Head coach MIKE JONES says: “We didn’t execute very well in Amsterdam and they outplayed us and thoroughly deserved the win. We have to get back to playing the kind of football we were playing in the opening few games.”… QB J.T. O’SULLIVAN (New Orleans Saints) has started all four games this season for the Galaxy (see table) and is the league’s second-ranked passer with a rating of 99.2… QB KIRK FARMER (Kansas City Chiefs) completed his only pass attempt for a 9-yard gain last week and has hit on 10 of 20 throws for 105 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 (399). Scored on a 72-yard catch and run in Amsterdam last week and was named NFLEL Offensive Player of the Week after racking up 212 total yards… FB COREY McINTYRE caught 4 passes for 17 yards last week… WR DREW HADDAD (Indianapolis Colts) is Frankfurt’s leading receiver (see table). He rates fifth in NFLEL in receiving yards… 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) nabbed 3 passes for 51 yards last week and scored his second touchdown of the season on a 29-yard strike from O’Sullivan… WR JASON WILLIS (Seattle Seahawks) grabbed a 15-yard pass last week, taking his season totals to 9 receptions for 101 yards… WR JERMAINE LEWIS (Houston Texans) caught 2 passes for 23 yards last week and has 4 catches for 68 yards on the season... DE COREY JACKSON (Cleveland Browns) was held without a sack for the first time this season last week but he did recover a fumble in Amsterdam. Jointly leads NFL Europe with 5 sacks this season… DE BOBBY SETZER (Oakland Raiders) kept up his streak of recording a sack in every game this season with 1 for -7 yards in Amsterdam, taking his total to a league-leading 5 in four games. Also added 4 tackles, increasing season tally to 15… German DT DANIEL BENETKA registered 2 tackles in Week 4 and

has now made 9 tackles and batted down 2 passes this term… DT AUBRAYO FRANKLIN (Baltimore Ravens) recorded his first sack of the season in Amsterdam last week… LB MASON UNCK (Cleveland Browns) ranks second on the team with 23 tackles this season after recording 6 tackles against the Admirals… LB DUSTIN COHEN had a big game against the Admirals in Week 4, recording 5 tackles, 1 sack and a fumble recovery. Has 19 tackles to his name this season… CB LYNARIS ELPHEAGE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) jointly leads NFL Europe with 2 interceptions and is way clear in NFLEL in terms of pass defenses. Elpheage has knocked away 12 passes, six more than his nearest rival in that category (Scotland CB Alphonso Roundtree). Recorded 7 tackles in Amsterdam last weekend and ranks fourth on the Galaxy with 17 stops this year… CB AHMAD BROOKS (New Orleans Saints) leads the team with 30 tackles after adding 12 last week. Also knocked down 2 passes and forced a fumble in the Netherlands…. S CHRIS BROWN (Jacksonville Jaguars) posted 3 tackles last week… S RICKY SHARPE (Cleveland Browns) registered 6 takedowns last week… S RALPH PARENT made 4 tackles last week and has 7 on the season… K RALF KLEINMANN is NFL Europe’s all-time leader in converted field goals (56) after slotting a 22-yard effort through the uprights in Amsterdam last week. Has 305 career points, moving past former Rhein Fire kicker Manfred Burgsmüller (304 points) for third place on the all-time scoring list.

QB J.T. OÂ’SULLIVAN (New Orelans Saimts ), 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
TOTAL 95 59 734 5 1

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
TOTAL 68 225 4 12 174 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
TOTAL 14 185 2



TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 9


RHEIN FIRE (2-2)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (20-14 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: 53-40

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 10-14 vs Berlin (4/24/04)
OFFENSE: 19.2 pts/game; 221.5 yds/game (rank 5); 55 rush yds/game (rank 6); 166.5 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Chad Hutchinson, 542 yards
Rushing: Joffrey Reynolds, 119 yards
Receiving: Willie Quinnie 16 rec, Adam Herzing 201 yards
DEFENSE: 17.5 pts/game; 284.5 yds/game (rank 3); 94.3 rush yds/game (rank 3); 190.3 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Four players, 2.0
Interceptions: Abdual Howard, 2

· THIS WEEK: at SCOTTISH CLAYMORES ·

Fire head on the road after losing back-to-back games for the first time in the same season since Weeks 3 and 4 of the 2001 campaign…. Head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: “We have to regroup and get better. Last week was a disappointing loss.”… QB CHAD HUTCHINSON (Dallas Cowboys) has started all four games for the Fire this season (see table)… QB GREG ZOLMAN (Buffalo Bills) connected on 3 of 6 passes for 41 yards last week… RB JOFFREY REYNOLDS (Cleveland Browns) leads the team in rushing (see table) but was held to negative yards last week. Caught 2 passes for 20 yards…. Speaking of his team’s sixth-ranked ground attack, Kuharchek says: “We tried to run the ball last week and believe me, we want to run the football. It’s not because we don’t work at it. The difficulty is that a lack of a running game hurts us in games like last week.”… RB RYAN BREWER made his Fire debut last week and led team with 13 yards on 7 carries…. WR SHOCKMAIN DAVIS (Green Bay Packers) caught 2 passes for 38 yards last week… WR ADAM HERZING (San Francisco 49ers) leads Rhein with 201 receiving yards this season. Last week he had a team-high 5 catches for 54 yards… WR WILLIE QUINNIE (Atlanta Falcons) lead the Fire in receptions (see table) but has not scored a touchdown in his last two games after opening the year with one in each of the first two contests… TE DWAYNE BLAKLEY (Tennessee Titans) caught a season-best 4 passes for 40 yards last week… TE DANIEL WILCOX had 1 reception for 13 yards last week…. DE DAVID NUGENT (Oakland Raiders) has 2 sacks this season, tied for team lead… DE RANDY GARNER posted his second sack of the season last week among 3 tackles… DT CEDRIC KILLINGS (Washington Redskins) posted 4 tackles and 1 sack last week and is one of four Fire players with 2 sacks this season… LB CHARLES BURTON has 16 tackles this season after 2 last week… LB JAMES HARRISON (Baltimore Ravens) leads the Fire with 23 tackles this season after adding a team-high 8 stops vs Berlin in Week 4… LB MAUGAULA TUITELE earned All-NFLEL honors with the Fire in 2002.

Has recorded 15 tackles in four games this season after adding 2 to his tally against the ThunderÂ… CB TONY LUKINS (Seattle Seahawks) ranks third on the Fire squad with 18 tackles after adding 2 last weekÂ… CB EARTHWIND MORELAND has made 10 tackles and knocked down a team-high 4 passes this seasonÂ… S ABDUAL HOWARD grabbed his second interception of the season last week and ranks second on the club with 22 tackles after adding 5 against BerlinÂ… German S RICHARD YANCY was named National Player of the Week after he recorded his first career interception against his old team in Week 4. Has recorded 14 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defense in four games this seasonÂ… K INGO ANDERBRÃœGGE jointly leads NFL Europe with 18 points after kicking a 30-yard field goal and 1 PAT last week. Has been perfect on the season to date, converting 3 of 3 FGs and 9/9 PATsÂ… P BROOKS BARNARD (Chicago Bears) ranks third in NFLEL with an average of 38.9 yards on 19 punts. Net average of 37.6 leads the league.

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
TOTAL 81 50 542 2 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
TOTAL 16 148 2

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
TOTAL 50 119 3 10 76 0




TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 – Page 10


SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (0-4)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (59-55 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: 41-53

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 3-17 at Cologne (4/25/04)
OFFENSE: 5 pts/game; 213 yds/game (rank 6); 71.3 rush yds/game(rank 5); 141.8 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Nate Hybl, 392 yards
Rushing: Maurice Hicks, 107 yards
Receiving: Scott McCready, 23 rec 184 yards
DEFENSE: 17.75 pts/game; 256.5 yds/game (rank 1); 119.8 rush yds/game (rank 5); 136.8 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Three players, 1
Interceptions: None

· THIS WEEK: vs RHEIN FIRE ·

The Claymores still looking for first win of the season after matching worst start in franchise history (0-4 in 1998)Â… Have set record low mark of 20 points scored in first four games of the season and have failed to score a touchdown in last three games (12 quarters), first team in NFLEL history to go three games without a TDÂ… QB NATE HYBL (Cleveland Browns) is ScotlandÂ’s leading passer (see table) and has started all four gamesÂ… QB CURT ANES (Detroit Lions) hit on 6 of 9 passes for 85 yards last week and has 1 TD and 1 interception on the season. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards at Rhein in Week 2Â… Claymores were held to 36 rushing yards last weekÂ… RB MAURICE HICKS (San Francisco 49ers) had averaged 5.0 yards per carry before last week, but gained only 1 yard on 3 carries (see table)Â… RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (Denver Broncos) is second on the team with 98 rushing yards after carrying 9 times for 19 yards last week. Rushed 9 times for 22 yards and caught 2 passes for 10 yards against the Fire this season.Â… English WR SCOTT McCREADY has led his team in receptions in all four games this year (see table) and 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.Â… Scottish WR SCOTT COUPER is the all-time receiving leader among national players with 103 catches for 1,108 yards and 12 touchdowns. Caught 1 pass for 15 yards last week, his second catch of the year. Only other catch was against Rhein in Week 2. Career record of 22 catches, 184 yards, 3 TDs against the FireÂ… WR RONALD BELLAMY (Miami Dolphins) caught 3 passes for 22 yards last week and 2 for 30 yards against Rhein this yearÂ…. WR HERB HAYGOOD (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 pass for 7 yards last weekÂ…. TE AARON GOLLIDAY (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 passes for 10 yards last week and had 3 for 14 yards against Rhein in Week 2Â… TE MARCUS HELFMAN (San Francisco 49ers) caught 3 passes for 47 yards last week

Claymores defense is ranked number one in the league but has forced only one turnover this season (1 fumble, 0 interceptions)Â…. Scottish DE ROBERT FLICKINGER has 12.5 career sacks to lead all national players. Registered 3 tackles last week and is still looking for first sack of the seasonÂ… DT CEDRIC SCOTT (Cleveland Browns) had 4 tackles last weekÂ… Safety GERALD DIXON had 14 tackles last week, highest single-game individual total of the seasonÂ…. LB RYAN MYERS (New York Jets) is the teamÂ’s leading tackler with 37 after posting 6 stops last weekÂ… LB JIMMY McCLAIN (Jacksonville Jaguars) made 5 tackles in Week 4 and ranks second on the team with 25 tackles this seasonÂ… DE DAMIAN GREGORY posted first sack of the season and 5 tackles last weekÂ…. S JAMES LEWIS posted 5 tackles last weekÂ… S THOMAS WRIGHT (Tennessee Titans) registered 5 tackles last weekÂ…. CB JERMAINE CHATMAN had 4 tackles last week and 3 against the Fire in Week 2.... K ROB HART made 1 of 2 FGs last week, hitting from 25 and failing from 47 yards. With 325 career points he needs 5 points to become the all-time scoring leader in NFLEL history. (Jesus Angoy, Barcelona 329). He is the only Claymores player to score since Week 1. Career record of 10 of 12 FGs against RheinÂ…. P NICK MURPHY (Philadelphia Eagles) punted 5 times for a 42.2-yard average last week and has a league-best 40.5-yard average.

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
TOTAL 79 47 392 1 2

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
TOTAL 23* 184 0

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 2 13 0
TOTAL 24 107 0 6 36 0

*Leads NFL Europe League


THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 11


COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-3)
at FRANKFURT GALAXY (3-1)
Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Saturday May 1, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads 1-0
At Frankfurt: First meeting between teams in Frankfurt
At Cologne: Frankfurt leads 1-0
Streak: Frankfurt 1
This season: Frankfurt 21 at Cologne 10 (Wk 2)

TELEVISION
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 MIKE GOLDBERG is joined in the booth by Dallas Cowboys All-Pro safety DARREN WOODSON.

COACHES
FrankfurtÂ’s MIKE JONES suffered his first loss as a rookie NFLEL head coach last week. Former NFL wide receiver won World Bowl rings as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 1998 and 2000Â… Centurions head coach PETER VAAS also has a pair of World Bowl rings, won when he was in charge of the Berlin Thunder. Vaas guided the Centurions to their first victory of the season last weekend after opening the year 0-3.

GAME NOTES
Fans of the ground game will be drawn to this encounter featuring the top two rushing teams in NFL Europe. Frankfurt is top with an average rushing output of 131.5 yards per game, while the Centurions have gained 130.8 yards per game this season. Frankfurt has run the ball more than any other team this season (134 rushes in four games) while Cologne leads the league with a 4.4-yard rushing average… Using their strong ground attack and an efficient passing game, the Galaxy has NFL Europe’s number one-ranked offense, although they have also punted a league-high 24 times… Frankfurt quarterbacks have thrown just 1 interception this season – fewest in NFLEL… The Centurions lead NFL Europe in average time of possession per game (33:32)… Cologne’s offensive line has conceded just 6 sacks in four games (second in NFLEL) but will be tested by a Frankfurt pass rush that has recorded a league-high 12 sacks… Frankfurt’s defense has registered a league-high 7 interceptions this season but has not grabbed a pick in the last two games… Cologne quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions than any other team in the league (5)… Frankfurt’s secondary has also limited opponents to a 52.7 completion percentage – lowest in the league… Cologne’s defense ranks second in the league and first against the run. The unit has allowed opponents to pick up just 59 first downs – fewest in NFLEL… Frankfurt’s defense allowed its first rushing touchdown of the season vs Amsterdam last week… Cologne is allowing opponents to gain 29.9 yards per kickoff return this season (sixth in NFLEL), while the Galaxy are limiting the opposition to a league-low 17.8 yards per return… In the inaugural meeting between the clubs, the Galaxy ran out 21-10 winners as RBs SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals) and LEONARD HENRY (Miami Dolphins) scored on runs and WR JERMAINE LEWIS (Houston Texans) recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. Cologne QB RYAN VAN DYKE (New York Giants) was intercepted three times by the Galaxy defense.

RHEIN FIRE (2-2) at
SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (0-4)
Hampden Park, Glasgow, Sunday May 2, 2:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES
Overall: Rhein leads 12-7 (Rhein leads 1-0 in postseason)
At Scotland: Scotland leads 6-3
At Rhein: Rhein leads 9-1
Streak: Rhein 1
This season: Scotland 3 at Rhein 31 (Wk 2)

TELEVISION
United Kingdom: DELAY/Sky Sports 3 (6:00 p.m. Sunday May 2). Repeated at 12:30 a.m. (Mon) on Sky Sports 2.
US: LIVE/DirecTV (9:00 a.m. ET) DELAY/NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET)
NICK HALLING – the only British commentator ever to call an NFL regular season game – is joined in the booth by STEVE BEUERLEIN – a veteran QB with 16 seasons of experience in the NFL.

COACHES
JACK BICKNELL has tied for the second longest losing streak of any head coach in NFLEL history (seven games, including the last three of the 2003 season with Barcelona). Ties Jack Elway, who lost seven straight with Frankfurt in 1992. The record is 10, by Roman Gabriel of the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks in 1991. Needs one win to become first head coach to reach 60 regular season wins in NFL EuropeÂ… Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK has never won in Scotland, losing regular season games in 2001, 2002 and 2003, as well as World Bowl XI vs Frankfurt last summer.

GAME NOTES
Both teams will be desperate for a victory on Sunday afternoon to alter their fortunes. The Claymores have matched their worst start in franchise history (0-4 in 1998) and a Week 5 loss would see them become the first team to start a season 0-5 since the 1992 Ohio Glory, who went to 0-6 before winning. Rhein needs a win to halt a two-game losing slide. Fire has lost back-to-back games in the same season for the first time since weeks 3 and 4 of the 2001 campaign… The Fire has not won in Scotland since 1998, going 0-5 in the regular season (including a 33-0 shutout loss last season) and also losing World Bowl XI to the Frankfurt Galaxy at Hampden Park… Both teams struggling offensively as the Claymores are ranked sixth in NFLEL, while the Fire are just one place above them with the fifth-ranked offense in the league… Scotland has scored 20 points in four games (lowest in NFLEL history) and been held without a touchdown in the past three contests… The Claymores are averaging 3.9 yards per offensive play – sixth in NFLEL… Big plays have been in short supply for the Claymores. Their longest pass play has covered 28 yards and the longest run 15… Both teams have allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 10 times – most in NFLEL… Rhein’s defense ranks third in the league with 9 sacks… Rhein ranks sixth in NFL Europe in rushing, averaging 55 yards per game at an average of 2.3 yards per carry… Scotland have scored first in three of their four losses this season… Claymores have the league’s top-ranked defense (256.5 yards per game) but that unit has created a league-low 1 turnover in four games (1 fumble recovery, 0 interceptions)… In last meeting between the teams, RB JOFFREY REYNOLDS (Cleveland Browns) scored twice on the ground as the Fire romped to a 31-3 win in Week 2. Also getting on the scoreboard for the Fire were WR WILLIE QUINNIE (Atlanta Falcons) and S ABDUAL HOWARD, who scored on a 77-yard interception return.



THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / RECAP OF WEEK 4 NFL Europe 2004, Week 5 - Page 12


AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (2-2)
at BERLIN THUNDER (4-0)
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Sunday May 2, 4:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads 11-8 (Frankfurt leads 1-0 in postseason)
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 6-3
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 8-2
Streak: Frankfurt 1
Last Meeting: Amsterdam 11 at Frankfurt 34 (Week 1)

TELEVISION
Netherlands: HIGHLIGHTS/RTL 5 (Saturday May 8, p.m.)

COACHES
BART ANDRUS is in his fourth season as head coach of the Admirals. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000 and also coached in Super Bowl XXXIV, when he served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee TitansÂ… Rookie head coach RICK LANTZ has the Thunder off to the best start in franchise history.

GAME NOTES
The Admirals will aim to maintain their winning formula when they travel to Germany’s capital to face the undefeated Thunder… Amsterdam has won back-to-back games for the first time since weeks 9 and 10 of the 2002 season and has righted the ship after making an 0-2 start to the 2004 campaign. In first two games of the year, the Admirals committed 8 turnovers and averaged 51 rushing yards per game. In last two wins, the Admirals have not turned the ball over and have averaged 150.5 rushing yards per game… Both teams have been airing the football out this season. Amsterdam has thrown more passes than any other team in the league (146) and ranks second in NFLEL with 221 yards per game… Berlin’s passing attack is the best in NFL Europe, averaging 224 yards per game. Berlin quarterbacks have completed a league-high 66.7 percent of their passes for a NFLEL-leading 109.0 passer rating. Thunder also lead league in fewest sacks allowed (5), yards per completion (12.9) and touchdown passes (10)… The Thunder offense is also the best in Europe on third downs, converting 24 of 46 attempts for a 52.2 percent conversion rate… Amsterdam’s defense ranks sixth in NFL Europe but has forced a league-high 9 fumbles, recovering 5 (also first in NFLEL)… Amsterdam’s defense is giving up 12.7 yards per completion – most in NFL Europe… Berlin’s defense has allowed the most passing yards in NFL Europe this season (222.3 yards per game) but has come up with 4 interceptions, to rank second in NFLEL in that category… Both teams have fumbled a league-high 7 times this season, losing the ball on four occasions each… Prior to the 2004 season, Berlin had won just three games in team history in the month of April – each of their four wins this season have come in that month… Meetings between the Admirals and Thunder are traditionally high-scoring affairs, averaging 54.3 points per game – most among existing matchups in NFL Europe. There has never been a game between the two teams where one club has failed to score at least 20 points… In first meeting between the teams this season (Week 2) Berlin relied on big plays to record a 28-17 victory. QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots) threw TD passes of 52 and 43 yards to German WR JÖRG HECKENBACH, while WR CHAS GESSNER (New England Patriots) caught TD passes from QB MARC DUNN (Kansas City Chiefs) and fellow WR RICHARD ALSTON (Cleveland Browns).


· WEEK FOUR RECAP ·

Berlin Thunder 14, Rhein Fire 10
(Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen. Att: 20,242)

Rohan Davey (Thunder) 198 passing yards, 1 TD
Corey Smith (Thunder) 4 tkls, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Abdual Howard (Fire) 5 tackles, 1 interception

Scottish Claymores 3, Cologne Centurions 17
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 8,761)

Ryan Van Dyke (Centurions) 159 passing yards, 2 TD
Avon Cobourne (Centurions) 116 rushing yards
Todd Devoe (Centurions) 2 catches, 48 yards, 2 TD

Frankfurt Galaxy 17, Amsterdam Admirals 21 (OT)
(Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Attendance: 10,684)

Skip Hicks (Galaxy) 212 total yards, 1 TD
Clint Stoerner (Admirals) 219 passing yards, 1 TD
Chris Downs (Admirals) 118 total yards, 1 TD
Todd Sievers (Admirals) kicked game-winning FG

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National Football League Europa Stories from April 27, 2004


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