Early Start To Week Two
April 17, 2007 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE first week of NFL Europa 2007 action is in the record books and what a weekend it was.
An all-time record 89,367 fans witnessed contests in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf as the six NFLE head coaches learned more about how their players would react in a live game.
What is not known at this early stage is who will emerge from the pack as the class of the league in 2007, advancing to battle in Yello Strom World Bowl XV in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday, June 23.
But one thing is certain - in a 10-week season, every game is important and that means the stakes will be high this weekend, even though NFL Europa is only just entering its second round of games.
A pair of clubs searching for their first win of 2007 will kick off the Week 2 action as the Amsterdam Admirals (0-1) play host to the Rhein Fire (0-1) on Friday night.
Two opening day winners will do battle for the right to top the NFL Europa standings at 2-0 as the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy (1-0) visits the Cologne Centurions (1-0) on Saturday April 21.
The Week 2 action concludes on Sunday, April 22 as the Berlin Thunder (1-0) welcomes the Hamburg Sea Devils (0-1) to Olympic Stadium in the German capital.
WEEK TWO SCHEDULE
FRIDAY APRIL 20
Rhein Fire at Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 8:00 p.m.
SATURDAY APRIL 21
Frankfurt Galaxy at Cologne Centurions
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY APRIL 22
Hamburg Sea Devils at Berlin Thunder
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 4:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 1
OFFENSIVE - DERRICK ROSS - RB, Cologne
Rushed for 120 yards and 1 touchdown on 29 carries; Added 3 receptions for 25 yards
DEFENSIVE - RON ROCKETT - S, Frankfurt
Recorded a team-high 8 tackles and 1 interception;
Knocked down 2 passes
SPECIAL TEAMS - ANDREW JACAS - K, Berlin
Converted four-point field goals from 53 and 50 yards; Added 1 conversion for a total of 9 points
NATIONAL - SCOTT McCREADY - WR, Hamburg
Caught a team-high 7 passes for 100 yards;
Scored on a 55-yard reception
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 2
(Cover story Continued...)
After seeing his club fall to an opening day defeat on the road, Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS feels his players will bounce back with a more consistent performance against the Rhein Fire on Friday night.
He says: "We'll learn a lot from our loss in Frankfurt. First games are always interesting because you are trying to find out a little bit about yourself. We feel like we did some things very well.
"We have a ways to go. We did some encouraging things. I'm looking forward to seeing how this football team responds going into the next week."
Rhein Fire head coach RICK LANTZ expects better from his team across the board in Week 2 as they look to rebound from a 15-3 home loss to Berlin.
He says: "It wasn't pretty. This was not a game lost by the offense, defense or special teams - we all lost. We could have done better in each area and we need to make some plays."
Reigning Coach of the Year MIKE JONES takes his Frankfurt Galaxy on the road this weekend following an impressive opening night defeat of Amsterdam.
Ahead of his team's visit to Cologne, Jones says: "We're excited about what we did offensively last week. It builds up some confidence. We did a good job of staying poised and patient. We had a good attitude and we never gave up. We now have a better idea of where we are as a team."
The Cologne Centurions head home following a 24-18 road win in Hamburg in Week 1.
Head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "It was a good team effort and I am very proud of the way we played as a team. There were some mistakes but those are correctable. We were able to come back from those mistakes. Our team was strong enough to go on the road to Hamburg and come out with the win. That is pleasing."
Two rookie head coaches will meet for the first time on Sunday, April 22 as VINCE MARTINO takes his Hamburg Sea Devils to the German capital to meet a Berlin Thunder club coached by JOHN ALLEN.
Martino is looking for a much tidier performance from his Sea Devils, who threw three interceptions in last week's loss to Cologne.
He says: "The game had a lot of mistakes in it - it was a case of us making bigger mistakes than they did and that surprised and disappointed me."
Allen was pleased with his club's road win at Rhein, saying: "We were very happy to leave Düsseldorf with a win. It was a tough game and we fought hard all the way through.
"We are still trying to find ourselves like the other teams in the league but I was very pleased with how our players stayed focused on what they needed to do."
Week 1 draws record crowds
AMERICAN football fans across Germany took advantage of the weekend's summer temperatures to catch NFL Europa action in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Hamburg.
And the result saw 89,367 fans - the highest single-weekend figure since NFL Europa became a six-team league in 1995 - witness victories for Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt.
Here is a look at the top five attendance weekends in NFL Europa history:
Attendance Week/Season
89,367 Wk 1, 2007
89,001 Wk 9, 2005
85,835 Wk 10, 1999
83,440 Wk 9, 2002
80,555 Wk 9, 1997
NFL Europa Managing Director UWE BERGHEIM says: "We are really happy that we could set a new attendance record. It is really important to us that close to 90,000 fans were a part of Week 1 and experienced our great events. These numbers are a positive sign for the upcoming weeks."
A club record 20,887 fans packed into Hamburg's AOL Arena, while 30,355 descended on the LTU arena to see the Rhein Fire-Berlin Thunder clash. A weekend-high 38,125 fans were on hand at Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena to welcome the defending champions into the new season.
Sea Devils head coach VINCE MARTINO paid tribute to Hamburg's fans, saying: "They were fantastic - we even had trouble hearing on offense.
"Hamburg fans are fantastic. They support us all the way and they're hungry for a real good season, so that's what we're trying to give them. Their support is tremendous and we really appreciate it."
Friday Night Lights in Amsterdam
IT is a tradition among the high school gridiron fraternity in the United States and now Friday Night Football returns to NFL Europa as the Amsterdam Admirals prepare to host Cologne in Week 2.
The Admirals have played on Friday evenings twice previously (vs. Berlin in 2002 and Scotland in 2004) and boast an 0-2 mark in those night games.
Admirals General Manager STEFAN ESKES says: "We are excited to introduce Friday Night Football to the Netherlands. This gives us a chance to promote the sport of American football among young professionals and students, giving them a new way to kick off their weekends with the Admirals."
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 3
Early offensive powers clash
as Galaxy heads to Cologne
NFL EUROPA'S top two offenses after one week of play will be on display when the Frankfurt Galaxy travels to face the Cologne Centurions in Week 2.
Frankfurt leads the league with 474 yards of total offense, while the Centurions rank second with 338 yards. The clubs also rank first (Frankfurt, 30) and second (Cologne, 24) in total points scored.
In recording a 30-14 victory over the Amsterdam Admirals, Frankfurt proved to be the epitome of a balanced attack, combining 33 runs for 184 yards with 35 passes that netted 290 yards.
Head coach MIKE JONES says: "I don't know how much more balanced we can get. If we have the option to run, we run; if we have the option to pass, we pass. We just take what the defense gives us."
Here are some of the offensive categories the Galaxy leads NFL Europa in after one week of play:
Total Yards 474
Passing Yards 290
Rushing Yards 184
Average Yds Per Play 6.9
Average Yds Per Rush 5.6
Average Yds Per Comp 13.5
First Downs 23
Time of Possession 34:37
Points Scored 30
The Centurions enjoyed success through the air in Hamburg with 181 net yards and one touchdown, but they boast the highest percentage of rushing yards of any team in NFL Europa.
Of Cologne's 338 total yards, 46.4 percent (157 yards) come via running plays.
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "Derrick Ross had a great effort running the football against Hamburg and he was really helped by our offensive line. I am pleased with the way we moved the football."
Importantly, in terms of offensive success, Frankfurt and Cologne jointly rank second in NFL Europa in third down efficiency, converting for first downs 56.3 percent of the time.
Both clubs have also shown a penchant for making the big play. Frankfurt leads the league with 7 plays (5 pass, 2 rush) covering 20 yards or more, while Cologne ranks second with 5 (3 pass, 2 rush).
Neither offense is likely to enjoy a stroll in the park in Week 2, however. Frankfurt and Cologne both lead all NFL Europa defenses with 3 takeaways apiece in the opening week's action.
Frankfurt's defense came up with 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery last week, while the Centurions produced 3 picks against Hamburg.
The Galaxy leads the league with a +3 turnover ratio after not committing a turnover in Week 1. Cologne ranks second with a ratio of +2 after throwing 1 interception.
Jacas gets his kicks with Berlin
Berlin Thunder kicker ANDREW JACAS made NFL Europa history last weekend while leading his club to a 15-3 defeat of the Rhein Fire.
Jacas became the first player in league history to successfully convert two four-point field goals in the same game.
His first effort, a 53-yarder as time expired in the first half, gave Berlin a 4-3 lead at the break. And his second successful attempt, coming midway through the third period from 50 yards out, moved the Thunder into an 8-3 lead.
Under NFL Europa rules, a field goal of 50 yards or more is worth four points instead of the usual three.
The only other kicker in league history to achieve double success from 50+ yards was PHILIP DOYLE, who landed a pair of 50-yard efforts during the Birmingham Fire's 20-6 loss to the Sacramento Surge on March 21, 1992.
But those efforts were only worth six points as the four-point rule was not introduced until the 1995 season.
Jacas, who has earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts, says: "I knew coming in that I might have the chance to kick one or two 50-yard field goals. Coach (John) Allen told me I had been kicking well in practice so I came in prepared.
"I was looking forward to kicking a field goal and I'm happy that I made two. It was a great win, a team win and a very good start for me."
Thunder head coach JOHN ALLEN adds: "Andrew is unbelievably strong - he has a very strong leg. He can actually kick it a little further than that and we knew going in we were going to give him a chance.
"One of the things we have been working on is his consistency. We knew he could kick and he has some good confidence now. He did a great job and really helped us in the special teams game. As long as he continues to stay consistent and focused, he will really help us."
NFLE FACTS:Fast Starts
Amsterdam Admirals and Hamburg Sea Devils made fast starts to the 2007 campaign, scoring touchdowns on their opening drives. Amsterdam marched 80 yards in nine plays to score on a 7-yard pass from Drew Olson to Justin Surrency. Hamburg went 82 yards in 11 plays to score on a 1-yard run by Tony Hollings. Both teams failed to turn the fast starts into victories, losing to Frankfurt and Cologne.
NFLE FACTS:Road Warriors
Two of the three games played in Week 1 were won by the road team as Cologne downed the Sea Devils in Hamburg and Berlin beat Rhein at LTU arena. Home teams went just 14-15-1 in 2006.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 4
Explosive start to new season
FANS who flocked to NFL Europa games in record numbers last weekend certainly had plenty of exciting action to cheer as the 2007 campaign got underway with a flurry of big plays.
The Week 1 action featured seven plays covering 40 yards or more. Here are the details:
61-yd TD Run Travis Lulay, Berlin at Rhein
60-yd TD Rec Aaron Hosack, Frankfurt vs. Amsterdam
55-yd TD Rec Scott McCready, Hamburg vs. Cologne
52-yd KO Ret Quentin Griffin, Hamburg vs. Cologne
44-yd KO Ret Tramain Hall, Cologne at Hamburg
43-yd KO Ret Noriaki Kinoshita, Amsterdam at Frankfurt
41-yd TD Rec Aaron Hosack, Frankfurt vs. Amsterdam
The big plays continue an NFL Europa trend as a total of 59 plays covered 40 yards or more in 2006 - the most since the league featured six teams.
Nationals out to shine in 2007
International players from around the world will be looking to make a major impact in NFL Europa during the remaining weeks of the 2007 season after a strong showing on opening night.
English wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY led the national player output with 7 receptions for 100 yards and 1 touchdown against Cologne.
He now needs 64 receptions over the remaining nine games to become NFL Europa's all-time leading receiver, surpassing the 252 career receptions set by former Frankfurt star Mario Bailey.
Sea Devils head coach VINCE MARTINO says: "Scott is an amazing player. He is always our go-to receiver because he is so knowledgeable and he has speed. He is still the big play guy everybody is going to look to defend when they play Hamburg."
McCready was not the only national to produce the goods in Week 1. Fellow Sea Devil and English running back JERMAINE ALLEN scored on a 2-yard run.
French linebacker PHILIPPE GARDENT led Cologne with 8 tackles, Swedish linebacker CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK led Amsterdam's defensive stand with 7 stops and Rhein Fire wide receiver MARVIN ALLEN, of England, caught 2 passes for 29 yards.
Swedish wide receiver CRISTIAN MALM, of the Centurions, reeled in a 34-yard reception, while Japanese wideout NORIAKI KINOSHITA continues to serve as an explosive player for the Admirals, catching 3 passes for 53 yards and reeling off 2 kickoff returns for 62 yards.
Mexican defensive tackle MAURICIO LOPEZ registered his first career sack in Cologne's win over Hamburg.
Taking care of the ball remains crucial in NFL Europa League
IT will come as no surprise to football purists that the three winning teams in Week 1 of the 2007 NFL Europa season fared best in the turnover ratio department.
As is the case in the National Football League, taking care of the football is paramount in terms of success in NFL Europa.
The Frankfurt Galaxy recorded a 30-14 victory over the Amsterdam Admirals while not turning the ball over a single time. Amsterdam committed three turnovers and allowed the Galaxy to score six points off those errors.
The Cologne Centurions (1 turnover) recorded a 24-18 victory over the Hamburg Sea Devils (2 turnovers) and scored 10 points after two interceptions.
The Berlin Thunder (1 turnover) ran out 15-3 winners over a Rhein Fire team that turned the ball over twice. Four Berlin points came off turnovers.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "One of the turning points in any game is a turnover. We had one in the end zone against Frankfurt and it really took the wind out of our sails."
"The three interceptions really hurt us against Cologne," adds Hamburg head coach VINCE MARTINO. "If we don't turn it over and protect the football, we've always got a good chance to win."
Double-headed QB mark II?
WHEN the Frankfurt Galaxy won the World Bowl in 1999, PAT BARNES and JAKE DELHOMME split playing time right down the middle and famously became known as the 'Double-Headed Quarterback Monster.'
After their impressive showing against the Amsterdam Admirals on opening night, J.T. O'SULLIVAN (Chicago Bears) and KEVIN EAKIN (Buffalo Bills) could be about to resurrect that nickname.
O'Sullivan started the contest and saw the majority of the playing time while completing 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. His passer rating was 113.5.
Eakin was outstanding in relief of O'Sullivan, connecting on 5 of his 9 attempts for 103 yards, 1 touchdown and a rating of 133.1.
In a combined effort, O'Sullivan and Eakin completed 22 of 35 passes for 298 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Their combined rating was 118.5.
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "We're going to use both of our guys and let the chips fall where they may. We have two good guys and they're both valuable to the team.
"We're going to use them both to the best of our advantage."
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (0-1)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (30-31 in NFLE,Plus 1-1 in World Bowl)Colors: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ron Heller (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Richard Kent (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 64-57
MEDIA CONTACT: Joost Kling
Phone: 31-20-465-0550
Fax: 31-20-465-0555
E-mail: klingj@admirals.nl
Internet: www.admirals.nl
LAST GAME: Lost 14-30 at Frankfurt (4/14/06)
OFFENSE: 14 pts/game; 326 yds/game (rank 3); 72 yds rush/game (rank 5); 254 yds pass/game (rank 2)
Passing: Drew Olson, 260 yds
Rushing: Larry Croom, 38 yds
Receiving: Jonathan Smith, 5 rec; Noriaki Kinoshita, 53 yds
DEFENSE: 30 pts/game; 474 yds/game (rank 6); 184 rush yds/game (rank 6); 290 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Tim Jones, 1.0
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: vs. RHEIN FIRE -
Head coach BART ANDRUS paid tribute to his passers ahead of Amsterdam's Week 2 clash with Rhein, saying: "I feel good about the two guys we have - they just need time under center because they haven't played in a while. At the end of the season, Drew Olson will be right up there with the top quarterbacks in the league."... QB DREW OLSON (Baltimore Ravens) completed 22 of 35 passes for 260 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions on NFL Europa debut. Compiled QB rating of 80.7... QB COREY BRAMLET failed to connect on any of his 3 attempts last week... RB JONATHAN SMITH rushed for 29 yards on 8 carries last week and added a team-high 5 catches for 42 yards. Gained 109 yards on 25 carries in two meetings with Rhein in 2005... RB LARRY CROOM leads the Admirals with 38 rushing yards on 5 carries and has 2 catches for 28 yards... RB CEDRIC HUMES (New York Giants) caught a 7-yard pass last week... WR SKYLER FULTON caught 3 passes for 46 yards and 1 touchdown in his return to NFL Europa last week. Caught 11 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns in back-to-back wins over the Fire in 2006... WR JUSTIN McCULLUM (Carolina Panthers) caught 1 pass for 25 yards at Frankfurt... WR JUSTIN SURRENCY (Minnesota Vikings) caught 3 passes for 20 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Added 1 kickoff return for 15 yards... WR HARRY WILLIAMS (Houston Texans) marked his NFLE debut with an 11-yard reception at Frankfurt... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA caught 3 passes for a team-leading 53 yards last week. Added 2 kickoff returns for 62 yards with a long of 43... TE BEN HALL caught 3 passes for 28 yards last weekend... DE TIM JONES led all Admiral defensive linemen in Week 1 by registering 5 tackles and 1 sack against the Galaxy... DT MARCUS WEST made 4 tackles last weekend... DT NORMAN HEUER won a World Bowl ring with Amsterdam in 2005 and marked his return to NFLE
by recording 2 tackles at Frankfurt last weekend... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK ranked second on Amsterdam's defense last week by recording 7 tackles... LB KURT KAHUI (San Diego Chargers) recorded 5 tackles and knocked down 1 pass in his Admirals debut last weekend... LB GREG CAROTHERS won a World Bowl ring with Amsterdam in 2005. He returned to the Dutch club last week and registered 5 tackles and 1 special teams stop at Frankfurt... LB DERRICK BALLARD kicked off his third season with the Admirals by recording 5 tackles against the Galaxy. Recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack in two meetings with the Fire in 2006... CB KEVIN GARRETT (Carolina Panthers) recorded 3 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week... S DEANDRE EILAND led the Admirals with 8 tackles last week... S JAMIE THOMPSON (New York Jets) recorded 2 tackles at Frankfurt and also added 1 special teams stop... S GRANT MASON saw reserve duty at Frankfurt last weekend and ranked third on the team with 5 tackles and 1 pass defense... K JARET JOHNSON converted 2 PATs last week but did not attempt a field goal... P GLENN PAKULAK (Tennessee Titans) punted 3 times for 124 yards last week and ranks second in NFLE with a gross average of 41.3. He placed 1 kick inside the 20-yard line and his net average of 35.3 ranks second in NFLE.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (1-0)Head Coach: John Allen (1-0 in NFLE) Colors: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Lawrence (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 41-39-1
MEDIA CONTACT: Cem Herder
Phone: 49-30-300-644-00
Fax: 49-30-300-644-77
E-mail: cem.herder@berlin-thunder.de
Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de
LAST GAME: Won 15-3 at Rhein (4/14/07)
OFFENSE: 15 pts/game; 309 yds/game (rank 4); 120 rush yds/game (rank 3); 189 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Travis Lulay, 189 yds
Rushing: Travis Lulay, 72 yds
Receiving: Carlton Brewster, 7 rec, 95 yds
DEFENSE: 3 pts/game; 228 yds/game (rank 1); 68 rush yds/game (rank 1); 160 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Walter Curry, 1.0
Interceptions: Jameel Dumas, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
JOHN ALLEN marked his debut as an NFLE head coach with victory over Rhein, saying: "It was a hard-fought victory and we were trying to find ourselves. We moved the ball effectively at times and Travis Lulay did a great job of running the offense."... QB TRAVIS LULAY (Seattle Seahawks) completed 22 of 32 passes for 189 yards last week. He added a team-leading 72 rushing yards on 6 carries, scoring a game-clinching 61-yard touchdown in the fourth period... QB BRUCE EUGENE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was in training camp with Frankfurt before being reassigned to Berlin... RB CHRIS BARCLAY (Cleveland Browns) rushed for 48 yards on 9 carries last week and added 4 receptions for 9 yards and 2 kickoff returns for 39 yards... RB DAMIEN RHODES rushed for -1 yards on 4 carries last week. Caught 1 pass for 12 yards... RB SHA-RON EDWARDS carried twice for 4 yards at Rhein... WR CARLTON BREWSTER (Green Bay Packers) led the Thunder with 7 receptions for 95 yards last week with a longest gain of 37 yards... WR RYAN HOAG (Washington Redskins) blocked a Fire punt last week before sitting out the second half through injury... WR RICH MUSINSKI is in his second season with the Thunder. Caught 4 passes for 38 yards in a starting role last week. Played in both games against Hamburg last season and caught 5 passes for 62 yards and 1 touchdown... Mexican WR ALEJANDRO GAMEZ caught 2 passes for 18 yards last week... TE CHARLES DAVIS (New York Giants) was a fifth round draft choice of the Steelers in 2006. Caught 3 passes for 11 yards in season opener... TE ALEX SHOR (Arizona Cardinals) caught 1 pass for 6 yards last week... C/G ROB HUNT (Kansas City Chiefs) was a fifth round draft choice of Indianapolis in 2005. Has practice squad experience with Denver and played for the Rhein Fire in 2006... G MATT ULRICH (Indianapolis Colts) has played in 10 regular season games for the Colts (5 in 2005 and 5 in 2006)... DE DAVE TOLLEFSON (Oakland Raiders) recorded 2 tackles last week... DE WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) notched 1 sack among 2 tackles last week and also forced a fumble... DT BRYANT SHAW (Washington Redskins) recorded 1 tackle last week... DT LAUVALE SAPE has played in 10 regular season games for Buffalo. Made 1 stop in
NFL Europa debut last week... LB JAMEEL DUMAS played for the Rhein Fire in 2006, recording 11 tackles on defense and 6 special teams stops. Kicked off his second season in NFLE with 3 tackles and 1 key interception against his old team last week... LB MIKE MENDENHALL ranked second on Berlin's defense with 5 tackles at Rhein... German LB RICHARD ADJEI made 2 tackles in his Thunder debut against his former club... CB DENNIS DAVIS (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 1 tackle and knocked down 1 pass last week... CB JOSH LAY (St. Louis Rams) made 1 tackle and added 1 pass defense at Rhein... CB CHRIS THOMPSON played in 12 games for the Chicago Bears in 2005, registering 10 tackles. Marked his NFLE debut by recording a league-leading 10 tackles and 1 forced fumble... CB CHRIS HARRELL recorded 5 tackles last week... S ETRIC PRUITT (Detroit Lions) registered 4 tackles in last week's victory over the Rhein Fire... K ANDREW JACAS converted a pair of four-point field goals last week, from 53 and 50 yards. Added 1 PAT for a total of 9 points to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors... P TOM MALONE (New England Patriots) leads NFL Europa with an average of 45.3 yards on 3 punts with a long of 52 yards. Net average of 36.0 also leads the league.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-0)Head Coach: David Duggan (5-6 in NFLE)Colors: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jeff Filkovski (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 15-16
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 24-18 at Hamburg (4/14/07)
OFFENSE: 24 pts/game; 338 yds/game (rank 2); 157 rush yds/game (rank 2); 181 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Quinton Porter, 109 yds
Rushing: Derrick Ross, 119 yds
Receiving: Bobby Blizzard, 4 rec; Burl Toler, 58 yds
DEFENSE: 18 pts/game; 272 yds/game (rank 2); 101 rush yds/game (rank 3); 171 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Mauricio Lopez, Craig Kobel, Tyler King, 1.0
Interceptions: Clifton Smith, Jerron Wishom, John Saldi, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY -
The Centurions will aim to build on their strong start when they play host to Frankfurt, who also won on opening night. Head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "I was very happy to open the season with a win and thought we played extremely well on both sides of the football. Our offense move the ball and we came up with some key turnovers."... QB QUINTON PORTER (Houston Texans) completed 9 of 13 passes for 109 yards and 1 touchdown last week en route to a QB rating of 120.4. Added 3 runs for 25 yards... QB ERIK MEYER hit on 7 of 14 attempts for 73 yards with 1 interception. Rushed for 7 yards and 1 touchdown on 2 carries... RB DERRICK ROSS (Kansas City Chiefs) earned Offensive Player of the Week honors as he carried 29 times for 120 yards and 1 touchdown at Hamburg. Added 3 receptions for 25 yards. Played in seven regular season games for the Chiefs in 2006... WR JOVON BOUKNIGHT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught 1 pass for 8 yards last weekend... WR GREG LEE (Arizona Cardinals) was on Arizona's practice squad in 2006. The native of Tampa, Florida, earned All-Big East honors at Pittsburgh in 2005... WR BURL TOLER is the grandson of former NFL official Burl Toler, who served in the league from 1965-1989. He was the first African-American official in the NFL and served on the crew that worked Super Bowl XIV. Caught 3 passes for a team-leading 58 yards last week... Swedish WR CRISTIAN MALM caught a 34-yard pass last week at Hamburg, his former team... WR TRAMAIN HALL caught 1 pass for 12 yards last week and added 3 kickoff returns for 89 yards with a long of 44 yards... TE TONY CURTIS (Dallas Cowboys) played in four regular season games for the Cowboys in 2006. Caught 1 pass for 5 yards in Week 1... TE BOBBY BLIZZARD played for Hamburg in 2005, catching 34 passes for 335 yards and 2 TDs. Did well against his old team last week as he caught a team-high 4 passes for 31 yards and 1 touchdown... German TE WERNER HIPPLER remains on a league record 97 career regular season games after not seeing action in last week's victory over Hamburg... C GREG ESLINGER (Denver Broncos) was the 2005 Outland
Trophy winner (given to college football's best interior lineman) at Minnesota. Earned All-American and All-Big 10 honors and was a sixth round draft pick of the Broncos in 2006... G KILI LEFOTU (Washington Redskins) was a seventh round draft choice of the NFC East club in 2006. Played 43 games at Arizona, starting in his final two seasons... T ALAN REUBER (Cincinnati Bengals) played in three regular season games for Arizona in 2004 and spent 2005 on the Cardinals' practice squad. Was on Cincinnati's practice squad in 2006... DE JASON HALL (Carolina Panthers) registered 1 tackle and 1 quarterback hurry last week... DE TYLER KING returns for a second season in Cologne after recording 6 tackles and 2 sacks in 2006. Recorded 3 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry against the Sea Devils... DT McKINLEY BOYKIN (New Orleans Saints) notched 4 tackles against Hamburg... DT TOM JOHNSON (Indianapolis Colts) grabbed 3 tackles in Week 1... LB CRAIG KOBEL (Philadelphia Eagles) registered 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hurry and 1 special teams stop last weekend... LB CLIFTON SMITH (Cleveland Browns) has played in two regular season games for Cleveland and Washington, recording 1 special teams tackle for the Browns in 2006. Recorded 4 tackles, 1 interception for 37 yards and 2 pass defenses last week... LB JOHN SALDI (Dallas Cowboys) registered 1 tackle at Hamburg and added 1 interception for 25 yards... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT was NFL Europa's Co-Defensive MVP in 2006, leading the league with 70 tackles. Picked up where he left off in 2006 by recording a team-high 8 stops and 1 special teams tackle at Hamburg... CB GABE FRANKLIN (San Diego Chargers) registered 4 tackles and 1 special teams takedown last week... CB JERRON WISHOM (Minnesota Vikings) played in five regular season games with Green Bay in 2005, recording 6 tackles and defending 1 pass. Began his NFLE career with 3 tackles and 1 interception for 34 yards at Hamburg... CB KEVIN HOUSE played for Cologne in 2005. Recorded 4 tackles and 1 pass defense last week... S KEVIN CURTIS grabbed a club record 4 interceptions for Cologne last season. Recorded 4 tackles last week... S CHRIS REIS (New Orleans Saints) recorded 4 tackles in victory over Hamburg last week... K NICK NOVAK (Chicago Bears) played in eight games for the Washington Redskins and Arizona Cardinals in 2005, converting 13 of 20 field goals and all 25 PATs for a total of 64 points. He converted a 23-yard field goal last week but missed from 47 and 53 yards... P JOEL STELLY (Chicago Bears) had a punt blocked last week. Ended Week 1 action with 3 punts for 68 yards with a long of 33. Placed 2 of his kicks inside the 20-yard line.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-0)Head Coach: Mike Jones (18-13) in NFLEL, plus 1-1 in World Bowl.Colors: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Carson (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 76-65
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 30-14 vs Amsterdam (4/14/07)
OFFENSE: 30 pts/game; 474 yds/game (rank 1); 184 rush yds/game (rank 1); 290 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Passing: J.T. O'Sullivan, 195 yds
Rushing: Anthony Sherrell, 110 yds
Receiving: Brandon Middleton, 4 rec; Aaron Hosack, 114 yds
DEFENSE: 14 pts/game; 326 yds/game (rank 4); 72 rush yds/game (rank 2); 254 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Ulrich Winkler, John Syptak, 1.0
Interceptions: Bill Alford, Ron Rockett, 1
- THIS WEEK: at COLOGNE CENTURIONS -
The Galaxy began their World Bowl defense in fine style last week, scoring 16 unanswered second half points to down the Admirals. Reigning Coach of the Year MIKE JONES says: "I told the team at halftime that they had to stay poised and think on their feet and they did a good job of doing that. We took control of the game."... QB J.T. O'SULLIVAN (Chicago Bears) began his second season in NFL Europa by hitting on 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards, 2 touchdowns and a passer rating of 113.5... QB KEVIN EAKIN threw for 1,299 yards and 11 touchdowns with Frankfurt in 2005. He shone in relief of O'Sullivan in Week 1, hitting on 5 of 9 attempts for 103 yards and 1 touchdown... RB DECORI BIRMINGHAM (New York Giants) was in camp with the Rhein Fire last season. He saw his first regular season action last week and rushed for 33 yards on 10 carries. Added 3 receptions for 9 yards and a 22-yard kickoff return... RB ANTHONY SHERRELL (Detroit Lions) rushed for 110 yards on 17 carries with a long of 21 yards last week. Added 2 receptions for 17 yards... WR AARON HOSACK returns for a third season with the Galaxy. Has 61 receptions for 904 yards and 10 touchdowns in Frankfurt uniform. Caught 3 passes for 114 yards last week and scored on receptions covering 60 and 41 yards... WR ROBERT ORTIZ caught 4 passes for 29 yards last week... WR BRANDON MIDDLETON reeled in 4 receptions for 60 yards in Week 1... WR FELTON HUGGINS caught 3 passes for 32 yards and 1 touchdown last weekend... TE JAMES PETROWSKI (Tennessee Titans) ended the 2006 campaign on Tennessee's practice squad. Caught 1 pass for 20 yards last week... TE DAVID JONES caught a 7-yard pass last weekend... G MATT McCHESNEY (New York Jets) played in three regular season games for the Jets in 2005... Veteran German DE DANIEL BENETKA will make the
most of 2007 after announcing he will retire at the end of the campaign. Recorded 3 tackles and 1 special teams stop last week... DE JUSTIN BROWN played for the Galaxy in 2006, recording 20 tackles and 2 sacks. Knocked down 2 passes last week... DE JOHN SYPTAK (San Francisco 49ers) registered 2 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble last week... DT REMI AYODELE recorded 4 sacks in 7 starts at Oklahoma. Brother, Akin, is a starting LB for the Dallas Cowboys... DT KENNY KING (Baltimore Ravens) was a fifth round draft pick of Arizona in 2003. Played in 11 games as a rookie, recording 18 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble... DT ZARNELL FITCH (New York Jets) recorded 3 tackles last week... LB JIMMY COTTRELL (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 2 tackles and recovered 1 fumble last week. Added 1 special teams stop... LB NICK REID (Kansas City Chiefs) started 40 games at Kansas, registering 416 tackles and 14 sacks. Ranked second on Frankfurt's defense with 6 tackles last week... LB MATT SINCLAIR won a World Bowl ring in Frankfurt last season while recording 49 tackles and 3 sacks. Kicked off his second campaign with 6 tackles and 1 pass defense last week... CB SHIRDONYA MITCHELL (Miami Dolphins) recorded 3 tackles and knocked down 2 passes last week... CB BILL ALFORD recorded 1 tackle, 1 interception for 33 yards and 2 pass defenses last week... S JAMAR LANDROM (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 1 tackle last week... S RON ROCKETT earned Defensive Player of the Week honors as he led Frankfurt's defense with 8 tackles and 1 interception... K RHYS LLOYD was a youth team soccer player for Premiership champions Chelsea before his parents emigrated to the United States from England. He marked his NFLE debut by converting 3 of 3 FGs (42 long) and 3 PATs for a 12-point haul... P KYLE BASLER (Cleveland Browns) punted once for 53 yards last week.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-1)Head Coach: Vince Martino (0-1 in NFLE)Colors: Dark blue, teal, red
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: N/A
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 8-12-1
MEDIA CONTACT: Thomas Bothstede
Phone: 49-407-525-590
Fax: 49-407-525-5959
E-mail: pr@hamburg-seadevils.de
Internet: www.hamburg-seadevils.de
LAST GAME: Lost 18-24 vs Cologne (4/14/07)
OFFENSE: 18 pts/game; 272 yds/game (rank 5); 101 rush yds/game (rank 4); 171 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Casey Bramlet, 161 yds
Rushing: Quentin Griffin, 39 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready, 7 rec, 100 yds
DEFENSE: 24 pts/game; 338 yds/game (rank 5); 157 rush yds/game (rank 5); 181 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Trent Bray, 1.0
Interceptions: John Walker, 1
- THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER -
The Sea Devils will look to bounce back from a third consecutive season-opening defeat when they travel to face the Berlin Thunder. Head coach VINCE MARTINO believes his team is more than capable of fighting back, saying: "We were able to make some big plays on offense and I saw some good signs on defense. What surprised me were the turnovers and our inability to stop the run."... QB CASEY BRAMLET (Washington Redskins) returns for a second season in NFL Europa after leading the Sea Devils in 2005. Completed 14 of 21 passes for 161 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception last week... QB ROD RUTHERFORD hit on 2 of 6 attempts for 21 yards last week but threw a pair of interceptions. Added 4 runs for 24 yards... RB QUENTIN GRIFFIN was a fourth round draft choice of Denver in 2003. He started five games for the Broncos in 2003-04, rushing for 656 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rushed for 39 yards on 6 carries last week and added 2 kickoff returns for 69 yards with a long of 52...RB TONY HOLLINGS is a former NFL starter with the Houston Texans. Rushed for 37 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 carries last week. Also blocked a punt on special teams... English RB JERMAINE ALLEN carried 3 times for 5 yards and scored on a 2-yard run... WR MARCUS MAXWELL (San Francisco 49ers) caught a 4-yard pass last week... WR SCOTT McCREADY is in his third season in Hamburg and a sixth campaign in NFLEL. Ranks second on the all-time charts with 189 receptions for 2,179 yards. Caught 7 passes for 100 yards and scored on a career long 55-yard reception last week... WR JUSTIN JENKINS caught 3 passes for 34 yards against Cologne last week... WR JOSH DAVIS had an 11-yard reception for the Sea Devils in Week 1... WR RASHAUN WOODS, a former first round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004, is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury... Former British sprinter-turned-WR DWAIN CHAMBERS did not see playing time against Cologne last weekend... TE TEYO JOHNSON (Denver Broncos) caught 2 passes for 17 yards with a long of 10 last week... TE MIKE PINKARD faces the club he won a World Bowl ring with
in 2004 when he caught 22 passes for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. Caught 2 passes for 16 yards in Sea Devils debut last week... G STEVE SCIULLO (Carolina Panthers) was a fourth round draft choice of Indianapolis in 2003 and was named to Pro Football Weekly's All-Rookie team. Started 13 games as a rookie before moving on to Philadelphia in 2004. Has played in a total of 28 regular season games with 18 starts... DE JIMMY VERDON (Cincinnati Bengals) was a seventh round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2005. Recorded 4 tackles and 1 forced fumble last week... DE JUSTIN KURPEIKIS recorded 6 tackles and batted down 1 pass last week... DE NATHANIEL ADIBI (Tennessee Titans) has practice squad experience with Miami and Jacksonville after being selected in the fifth round of the 2004 draft by Pittsburgh. Recorded 2 tackles before getting hurt last week... DT TIM SANDIDGE (St. Louis Rams) was on Kansas City's active roster during the 2006 NFL season. Registered 1 quarterback hurry last week... LB JAMES HARGRAVE (Detroit Lions) notched 4 tackles last week... LB TRENT BRAY (Houston Texans) recorded 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry last week... LB BYRON HARDMON played for the Sea Devils in 2006 and made 36 tackles. Kicked off second campaign with a team-leading 8 stops and 1 pass defense last week... CB LAMONT REID (Denver Broncos) played in 10 regular season games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2005, notching 16 tackles and 6 special teams stops. Recorded 2 tackles and 1 pass defense last week... CB MICHAEL HARDEN played for Berlin in 2005 and made 21 tackles and 2 interceptions. Registered 6 tackles last week... S SHAWN MAYER is in his third season in Hamburg after earning All-NFLEL honors in 2005 and recording a team-high 57 tackles in 2006. Recorded 2 tackles and 1 pass defense in Week 1... K SHANE ANDRUS (Indianapolis Colts) missed his lone extra point attempt last week and also sent a 51-yard field goal wide right... P ADAM ANDERSON (Atlanta Falcons) punted 4 times for 115 yards last week, placing 1 kick inside the 20-yard line.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (0-1)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (18-12-1 in NFLE,Plus 1-1 in World Bowls)Colors: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Larry New (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 64-57
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 3-15 vs. Berlin (4/14/07)
OFFENSE: 3 pts/game; 228 yds/game (rank 6); 68 rush yds/game (rank 6); 160 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Brett Elliott, 108 yds
Rushing: Cody Pickett, 26 yds
Receiving: Cedric Bonner, 4 rec; P.K. Sam, 42 yds
DEFENSE: 15 pts/game; 309 yds/game (rank 3); 120 rush yds/game (rank 4); 189 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: None
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
After losing his first game in charge of the Rhein Fire, head coach RICK LANTZ expects more out of his quarterbacks in Amsterdam, admitting their opening day performance was: "Not up to par. We didn't do as well as we expected. I still feel very good about both our guys but we didn't get as much efficiency out of them as we needed."... QB BRETT ELLIOTT (San Diego Chargers) completed 9 of 16 passes for 108 yards last week. Also added 4 runs for 6 yards... QB CODY PICKETT was a seventh round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004 who went on to start two games in the 2005 campaign. He marked his NFL Europa debut by completing 8 of 16 attempts for 57 yards with 1 interception against Berlin... RB GERALD RIGGS (Chicago Bears) is the son of the former Pro Bowl rusher of the same name who played for the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. Carried 5 times for 11 yards last week... RB TAUREAN HENDERSON (Atlanta Falcons) rushed for 21 yards on 6 carries last week. Also returned 2 kickoffs for 42 yards and caught 1 pass for 3 yards... RB JIMMY DIXON carried once for 3 yards last week... RB MICHAEL FRANKLIN rushed 3 times for 1 yard last week and added a 7-yard reception... WR P.K. SAM (Miami Dolphins) was a fifth round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2004. Led the Fire with 42 yards on 3 receptions last week... WR CEDRIC BONNER (Washington Redskins) caught 4 passes for 32 yards last week... WR LAUREN WILLIAMS (Oakland Raiders) caught 3 passes for 29 yards in Week 1... English WR MARVIN ALLEN caught 2 passes for 29 yards with a long of 21 last week... TE SEAN MULCAHY (Cincinnati Bengals) played for Amsterdam last season... Finnish TE IIRO LUOTO caught 2 passes for 11 yards last week... G JIMMY MARTIN (Minnesota Vikings) spent the 2006 season on the Vikings' practice squad... DE MATTHEW RICE (Detroit Lions) recorded 2 tackles against Berlin last week... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR marked his debut with the Fire by recording 2 tackles... DE DERRICK STRONG recorded 1 tackle last week. Registered 7 tackles and 3 sacks in two games vs. Amsterdam in
2006... DT MICHAEL BOZEMAN (Atlanta Falcons) spent the 2006 season on Atlanta's practice squad. Recorded 2 tackles in a Fire uniform last week... DT ALEX GUERRERO (Minnesota Vikings) notched 1 tackle last weekend... LB RICHARD KOONCE (Pittsburgh Steelers) led the Fire defense with 7 tackles last week... LB BLAKE COSTANZO (New York Jets) registered 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery against Berlin... LB DEREK REHAGE (Pittsburgh Steelers) recorded 1 tackle in his first NFL Europa action... CB CARLOS HENDRICKS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) ranked third on Rhein's defense with 5 tackles last week. Also knocked down 2 passes... S ANDREW PACE registered 5 tackles and 1 pass defense during Rhein's home loss to Berlin... German S RICHARD YANCY is in his eighth season in NFL Europa and a sixth campaign with the Fire. Has NFL practice squad experience with San Francisco and San Diego. Recorded 3 tackles last week... K CONNOR HUGHES (Pittsburgh Steelers) converted his lone field goal attempt of the game - from 21 yards - to score the Fire's only points last week... P DANNY BAUGHER (New England Patriots) punted 4 times for 152 yards (38.0 average) and had 1 kick blocked. Placed 1 punt inside the 20-yard line.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 11
RHEIN FIRE (0-1) at
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (0-1)
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Friday April 20, 8:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Amsterdam leads 14-10
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 9-3
At Rhein: Rhein leads 7-5
Streak: Amsterdam 3
Last season: Rhein 31 at Amsterdam 35, Amsterdam 30 at Rhein 21
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/ NFL Network (9:00 a.m. ET, Saturday April 21)
Play-by-play announcer RICH ACKERMAN is joined in the booth by former Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders fullback JON RITCHIE.
COACHES
RICK LANTZ will be out to get the Fire back on track in Week 2. He twice guided Berlin to World Bowls, winning the championship against Frankfurt in 2004 before losing to Amsterdam in 2005. Was named NFLE Coach of the Year in 2004... BART ANDRUS is in his seventh season in charge of the Admirals. Has led the club to back-to-back World Bowl appearances. Won the title game in 2005 and was named Coach of the Year. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000. Served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans in 1999, helping Steve McNair lead the club to a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV.
GAME NOTES
Both clubs head into this encounter in search of a win after suffering opening day defeats... The Admirals hold the edge in the series, winning 14 of 24 contests, including the last three in a row... Rhein has won just three times against the Admirals in Amsterdam (1998, 1999 and 2003)... The Admirals are playing on a Friday night for just the third time in club history. They have yet to win in such games, losing to Berlin in 2002 and Scotland in 2004... The Admirals are aiming for a third straight World Bowl appearance in 2007, having won the title game in 2005 (vs. Berlin) before losing to Frankfurt in 2006... Rhein has not won a World Bowl since 2000 and last appeared in the championship game in 2003... Rhein will look to boost its sixth-ranked rushing attack (68 yards in Week 1) when it faces an Amsterdam defense that shipped a league-high 184 rushing yards against Frankfurt... Rhein ranks sixth in the offensive standings after gaining 228 yards last week... The Admirals boast NFL Europa's third-ranked attack (326 yards) and lead the league in third down efficiency (70.0 percent) having converted on 7 of 10 attempts last weekend... The Admirals rank fifth in rushing yards (72) but did average 5.1 yards per carry, which would rate them second in the league in that category... Amsterdam conceded 2 sacks in Week 1 (second-highest allowed in NFLE) but face a Rhein Fire defense that was the only unit in the league not to record a sack in Week 1... Rhein's offense committed a league-high 3 fumbles in Week 1, losing 1 of them... Amsterdam and Rhein were the least penalized teams on opening weekend, both being flagged 5 times... Rhein's defense jointly leads the league in fewest first downs allowed (13)... Amsterdam gained 22 first downs in Week 1 - the second-highest figure in the league... The Admirals won both high-scoring meetings between the clubs last season. QB GIBRAN HAMDAN threw for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns in Amsterdam's 35-31 home victory, out-gunning QB DREW HENSON, who threw for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Fire... In the second encounter, Hamdan threw for 203 yards and 1 touchdown. WR SKYLER FULTON was a big factor in both games for the Admirals, catching a combined total of 11 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns.
FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-0) at
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-0)
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Saturday April 21, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads series 4-2
At Cologne: Frankfurt leads 2-1
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 2-1
Streak: Frankfurt 3
Last Season: Cologne 14 at Frankfurt 21, Frankfurt 17 at Cologne 10
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/ NFL Network (12:00 p.m. ET)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: DELAY/NASN Europe (9:30 a.m. CET), Sunday April 22
Play-by-play announcer BOB PAPA is joined in the booth by former Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman and current FOX NFL Sunday analyst BRIAN BALDINGER.
COACHES
MIKE JONES is in his fourth season in NFL Europa and is the reigning Coach of the Year after leading Frankfurt to World Bowl glory in 2006. Led the Galaxy to a World Bowl appearance as a rookie head coach in 2004. Served as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff from 1995-2000 and again in 2002-2003, winning World Bowls in 1998 and 2000... DAVID DUGGAN has yet to beat the Frankfurt Galaxy as a head coach having lost both games in 2006. He spent two years serving as Cologne's defensive coordinator. Served as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder from 2001 to 2003, during which time he won two World Bowls.
GAME NOTES
Week 1 winners go head to head as Cologne takes on a Frankfurt team that has won the last three encounters between the two clubs... The Centurions are looking to start a season 2-0 for just the second time in club history (opened 2005 with 3-0 record)... The top two offenses in NFL Europa will be on display after Frankfurt gained 474 total yards and scored 30 points in Week 1, while Cologne gained 338 yards and scored 24 points... Frankfurt averaged a league-leading 6.9 yards per play in Week 1 and led NFL Europa with 34:37 in time of possession... Cologne ran the football a league-high 37 times, ranked second with 157 rushing yards and scored an NFL Europa-high 2 touchdowns on the ground... Frankfurt was one of only two teams not to fumble the football in Week 1... Cologne fumbled a league-high 3 times but did not lose a single one... Cologne's defense ranks second in the league after holding Hamburg to 272 total yards last week... Frankfurt produced a league-best 7 plays of 20 yards or more, while Cologne ranked second in that category with 5 plays... Cologne boasts the league's most efficient red zone offense, scoring on all 4 trips inside the 20-yard line last week (3 touchdowns, 1 field goal)... Frankfurt ranks third in that department, scoring on 66.7 percent of 3 trips inside the 20 (0 touchdowns, 2 field goals)... Both teams fared well in turnover ratio in Week 1... Frankfurt topped the league with a +3 differential (3 takeaways and 0 giveaways), while Cologne ranks second with a +2 ratio (3 takeaways and 1 giveaway)... Frankfurt won both meetings in 2006. The first game in Frankfurt saw RB ROGER ROBINSON rush for 128 yards and 1 touchdown as the Galaxy ran out 21-14 winners. WR WALTER YOUNG scored the winning touchdown on a 5-yard catch from QB CRAIG OCHS in the fourth period... In the second game in Cologne, WR AARON HOSACK scored the winning TD on a 49-yard catch with 2:47 remaining.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK ONE RECAP NFL Europa 2007, Week 2 - Page 12
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-1)
at BERLIN THUNDER (1-0)
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Sunday April 22, 4:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Berlin leads 2-1-1
At Berlin: Series tied 1-1
At Hamburg: Berlin leads 1-0-1
Streak: Hamburg 1
Last season: Berlin 17 at Hamburg 17 (OT); Hamburg 38 at Berlin 14
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/NFL Network (12:00 p.m. ET), Monday April 23
Play-by-play announcer SCOTT GRAHAM is joined in the booth by DOUG GRABER, who served as head coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy from 2001-2003, winning a World Bowl in his final season in charge of the club.
COACHES
VINCE MARTINO goes in search of his first win as an NFLE head coach. Has worked alongside former head coach Jack Bicknell since the inaugural 1991 campaign. Won a World Bowl ring with the Barcelona Dragons in 1997. Has also coached with the Scottish Claymores... JOHN ALLEN made a winning start to life as an NFLE head coach. Allen spent the previous three seasons serving as offensive coordinator of the Amsterdam Admirals. During that time, the Admirals' attack ranked second in 2006, first in 2005 and second in 2004.
GAME NOTES
Teams enjoyed differing fortunes in Week 1 as Berlin saw off Rhein while Hamburg came up short against Cologne... Berlin boasts NFL Europa's top-ranked defense after shutting down the Rhein Fire in Week 1 (limiting them to 3 points and 228 total yards)... Hamburg was undone by mistakes in Week 1... The Sea Devils gave up a league-high 3 sacks, threw an NFLE-high 3 interceptions and were flagged 8 times - the second-highest figure among the six teams... Both clubs struggled to produce the big play in Week 1, tied for fourth in NFLE with just 2 plays covering 20 yards or more... Hamburg struggled on third downs, converting 2 of 9 attempts (22.2 percent)... Berlin's defense did a good job of getting off the field on third downs, ranking second in NFLE by allowing Rhein to convert successfully just 42.9 percent (6 of 14) of the time... Hamburg showed flashes of offensive potential in Week 1 by scoring a league-high 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 passing)... Hamburg did not fumble the football in Week 1... Berlin fumbled twice, losing the football once... The Sea Devils top NFL Europa with an average of 28.2 yards per kickoff return... Berlin ranks fifth with 19.5 yards per runback... Hamburg ran just 51 offensive plays in Week 1 - the lowest total in NFL Europa... Berlin quarterbacks completed a league-high 68.8 percent of their passes in Week 1... The Thunder was the only team not to give up a sack on opening night... Hamburg scored on 100 percent of 2 trips inside the 20-yard line last week (2 touchdowns, 0 field goals)... Berlin failed to score on any of their 3 trips inside the red zone... In the first meeting between the clubs in 2006, the Sea Devils and Thunder played to just the second tie in NFL Europa history (Birmingham Fire 17 at London Monarchs 17 - April 11, 1992). Hamburg looked set to win the game until K XAVIER BEITIA landed a 27-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation... The second meeting in Berlin was more clear cut as Hamburg romped to a 38-14 win. QB BROCK BERLIN threw for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns, with WR JOVAN WITHERSPOON catching 2 scoring strikes.
- WEEK ONE RECAP -
Cologne Centurions 24, Hamburg Sea Devils 18
(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 20,887)
Derrick Ross (Col) 120 rushing yds, 1TD; 3 rec 25 yds
Scott McCready (Ham) 7 rec, 100 yds, 1TD
Clifton Smith (Col) 4 tackles, 2 PD, 1 interception
Philippe Gardent (Col) 8 tackles
Amsterdam Admirals 14, Frankfurt Galaxy 30
(Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Attendance: 38,125)
J.T. O'Sullivan (Fra) 195 passing yds, 2TD, 113.5 QB rating
Drew Olson (Ams) 260 passing yds, 2 TD
Aaron Hosack (Fra) 3 rec, 114 yds, 2TD
Anthony Sherrell (Fra) 17 rushes, 110 yds
Berlin Thunder 15, Rhein Fire 3
(LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Attendance: 30,355)
Travis Lulay (Ber) 189 passing yds, 72 rushing yds, 1TD
Andrew Jacas (Ber) Kicked 53 and 50-yard field goals
Chris Thompson (Ber) 9 tackles and 1 forced fumble
Richard Koonce (Rhe) 7 tackles
- RED ZONE STATISTICS - 2006 -
OFFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Cologne 4 3 75.0 1 25.0 100.0
Hamburg 2 2 100.0 0 0.0 100.0
Frankfurt 3 0 0.0 2 66.7 66.7
Amsterdam 3 2 66.7 0 0.0 66.7
Rhein 2 0 0.0 1 50.0 50.0
Berlin 3 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
DEFENSE No TD TD% FG FG% Scoring %
Rhein 3 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0
Berlin 2 0 0.0 1 50.0 50.0
Frankfurt 3 2 66.7 0 0.0 66.7
Amsterdam 3 0 0.0 2 66.7 66.7
Cologne 2 2 100.0 0 0.0 100.0
Hamburg 4 3 75.0 1 25.0 100.0
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National Football League Europa Stories from April 17, 2007
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