Admirals clinch World Bowl berth
May 16, 2006 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE Amsterdam Admirals have booked a berth in Yello Strom World Bowl XIV and the final week of the regular season will decide who joins them in the title game taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Saturday May 27.
Either the Frankfurt Galaxy or the Rhein Fire will face the Admirals in the season finale at the LTU arena.
The Frankfurt Galaxy (6-3) needs a win or a tie against the Berlin Thunder (2-6-1) or a Fire loss to advance to World Bowl for the seventh time in the club's 14-year history.
The Rhein Fire (5-4) needs to defeat the Cologne Centurions (4-5) and then hope the Thunder beats Frankfurt in order to qualify for World Bowl. That would leave Rhein and Frankfurt level with 6-4 records but the Fire would win the tiebreaker with a greater points differential in games between the teams (+2).
The Amsterdam Admirals (7-2) round out their regular season by hosting the Hamburg Sea Devils (2-6-1), who have won two games in a row.
WEEK TEN SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MAY 20
Frankfurt Galaxy at Berlin Thunder
Jahnstadion, Berlin, 6:00 p.m.
Cologne Centurions at Rhein Fire
LTU arena, Düsseldorf, 7:00 p.m.
(for the Rhein Cup)
Hamburg Sea Devils at Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 7:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 9
OFFENSIVE - JAMAAL BRANCH - RB, Cologne
Rushed for 124 yards and 1 touchdown;
Added 2 receptions for 23 yards
DEFENSIVE - RUSSEL RABE - LB, Hamburg
Recorded 6 tackles and 2 sacks for -18 yards
SPECIAL TEAMS - GLENN PAKULAK - P, Amsterdam
Punted 7 times for 45.3 average with 3 inside the 20
NATIONAL - SCOTT McCREADY - WR, Hamburg
Caught 7 passes for 87 yards with long of 35;
Scored game-winning TD in fourth quarter
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 2
COVER STORY (continued)
Despite seeing his team lose at home to the World Bowl-bound Admirals last Sunday, Frankfurt Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES knows his club remains in a favorable position heading into the final weekend of action.
Needing a win or a tie in Berlin, or a Rhein loss, Jones says: "We could have won last week's game but the outcome was different. We have to go back and take care of business. We have the opportunity to win next week and that is what we have to play for."
Berlin head coach RICK LANTZ will try to raise the spirits of his injury-depleted squad as they head into Week 10 looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
He says: "We have run out of players. Against Cologne we had trouble moving the ball and we are having trouble stopping people. There weren't a lot of big plays for us. They didn't let us have the ball enough to make very many big plays."
The Rhein Fire needs to end a two-game losing slide this weekend and look for Berlin to get a win at home against the Galaxy.
Head coach JIM TOMSULA says: "We still have a chance to go to the World Bowl. We are going to come out at our home stadium next week and try to get one more win against Cologne and let the pieces fall where they may."
The Centurions have won two games in a row to improve to 4-5 on the year, prompting head coach DAVID DUGGAN to say: "I'm very happy right now. It was a rewarding day for this team. They have worked very hard and it was nice to give the fans a win to show our appreciation for their support this year.
"Hopefully we can build upon this win heading into next season. Hopefully the fans will appreciate the hard work of the players this year and bring a friend out next year."
Like the Centurions, the Hamburg Sea Devils are ending the 2006 season on a high and JACK BICKNELL takes his club into the Amsterdam ArenA looking to win for a third week in a row.
After leading Hamburg to victory in their final home game of 2006, he said: "We really appreciate the support that these fans have given us all season even though this has not been a year to celebrate. We wanted to give them something positive to end on."
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS saw his team clinch a World Bowl berth in Frankfurt at the weekend and says: "We are struggling through some things. We lost our starting quarterback a couple of weeks ago and we are bringing some young guys along. The Frankfurt game was a confidence builder and breakthrough night for (quarterback) Jared Allen. He came a long way and that is important for us in order to have success for the rest of the season."
Admirals celebrate reaching second consecutive World Bowl
WITH victory over the Frankfurt Galaxy in Week 9, the Amsterdam Admirals qualified for Yello Strom World Bowl XIV and became the seventh team in league history to reach back-to-back championship games.
The Admirals will face either the Frankfurt Galaxy or the Rhein Fire in the World Bowl and will go into that game knowing they have a 4-0 record against those clubs this season.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS will demand a total effort from his club in Week 10, but he did take a brief moment to celebrate reaching a second straight title game, saying: "We are very happy to be in the World Bowl again. We set a goal during training camp and now we have accomplished the first part of that goal."
Defensive end and team captain EARL COCHRAN adds: "I am happy to be in the World Bowl. I feel that since I was here last year and we won it, we had to defend it this season. That has been our mindset since the start of training camp."
Here is a look at other teams who have qualified for back-to-back World Bowls:
Team World Bowls Fared
Frankfurt 1995 & 1996 Won/Lost
Rhein 1997 & 1998 Lost/Won
Frankfurt 1998 & 1999 Lost/Won
Berlin 2001 & 2002 Won/Won
Frankfurt 2003 & 2004 Won/Lost
Berlin 2004 & 2005 Won/Lost
Amsterdam 2005 & 2006 Won/?
As the above table indicates, only the 2001 and 2002 Berlin Thunder has clinched consecutive World Bowl crowns, meaning the Admirals can become the second team in NFLEL history to achieve the feat should they win in Düsseldorf on Saturday May 27.
In clinching a World Bowl berth, the Admirals also became just the second team in league history to go undefeated away from home, matching the achievements of the 1991 London Monarchs, who went 5-0 on the road before winning the inaugural World Bowl.
Cornerback JUSTIN PERKINS says: "It doesn't matter what hostile environment we play in. We are always going to come together and give 100 percent."
Center TYLER LENDA adds: "To clinch on the road in a hostile environment and to go 5-0 on the road for the season is a huge deal. I think it gives us momentum going into Düsseldorf."
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 3
Records still up for grabs as 2006 season reaches climax
SEVERAL NFL Europe League records could be broken in Week 10 as the 2006 regular season concludes.
Frankfurt Galaxy rusher ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals), who has already tied the league mark with six 100-yard outings this season (Joe Smith, Rhein Fire 2005), needs to rush for 104 yards against the Berlin Thunder to break the single season mark of 1,057 yards set by Mike Green, of the Barcelona Dragons, in 2001.
Robinson, who missed a Week 5 trip to Hamburg with a head injury, is averaging 119.25 rushing yards per outing this season and leads the league with 954 yards on 182 carries.
The Galaxy can also make history by becoming the most successful single season rushing club ever. They need to rush for 137 yards against the league's poorest run defense in order to surpass the record of 1,686 yards set by the 1999 Rhein Fire.
Frankfurt can also set another mark if they attempt 32 rushes. That would give them 350 runs for the season, breaking the current record of 349 held by the 1997 Rhein Fire.
Sticking with the rushing theme, Cologne Centurions quarterback SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) needs to gain 41 yards on the ground when his club takes on the Rhein Fire in Week 10.
Should he reach that total, Boyd, who has run 40 times for 294 yards this term, would become the most successful rushing quarterback in NFLEL history, breaking the record of 334 set by Jon Kitna, of the Barcelona Dragons, in 1997.
Amsterdam Admirals wide receiver SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) has already set a new league mark by going over the 100-yard mark in six games this season.
He now needs 50 receiving yards against the Hamburg Sea Devils to smash the single season mark of 1,023 receiving yards set by Sean LaChapelle, of the Scottish Claymores, in 1996.
Fulton, who leads NFL Europe with 51 receptions for 974 yards, says: "It means a lot whenever we win a game and I can help us. That feels good. It is a team effort and I am playing on a great offense with great players around me.
"It is a good feeling to be going to the World Bowl. When we came together as a team in Tampa our goal was to win the World Bowl. Now we are going to have that chance.
"We had to start over following the injury to Gibran Hamdan and we have improved every quarter. Hopefully, by the time we get to World Bowl we'll be in stride."
Explosive Admirals use big plays to book title game berth
WITH three regular season games still to be played, the 2006 NFL Europe League season has seen a total of 54 plays covering 40+ yards - the most since the NFLEL became a six-team league in 1995.
The previous best was 52 plays covering 40+ yards in the 2004 season.
And it is the World Bowl-bound Amsterdam Admirals who have led the way with a total of 18 plays covering 40 yards or more.
That figure is twice as many as the next most explosive teams in NFL Europe - the Rhein Fire and Berlin Thunder.
Here is a look at how many plays covering 40+ yards each team has produced in 2006:
Team 40+ yard plays
Amsterdam 18
Berlin 9
Rhein 9
Cologne 7
Frankfurt 6
Hamburg 5
Here are the 10 longest plays produced by the Admirals this season:
D. Ballard 95-yd fumble return (TD)
N. Kinoshita 82-yd kickoff return
J. Perkins 72-yd return of block FG (TD)
J. Perkins 70-yd interception return (TD)
G. Hamdan to S. Fulton 65-yd pass (TD)
R. Robertson to S. Fulton 62-yd pass (TD)
N. Kinoshita 59-yd punt return (TD)
G. Hamdan to C. Bragg 56-yd pass
G. Hamdan to S. Fulton 54-yd pass (TD)
J. Allen to S. Fulton 52-yd pass
The longest play of the season to date has been a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Rhein Fire cornerback RONYELL WHITAKER.
His runback came in last weekend's loss in Hamburg and tied the mark held by Armon Hatcher (Frankfurt Galaxy 2002) and Jermaine Mays (Berlin Thunder 2005).
NFLEL FACTS:Running For Fun
Cologne ran the ball 52 times for 215 yards in last week's defeat of the Berlin Thunder. Those 52 runs were the third-highest single-game figures in league history, matching the 52 carries of the Barcelona Dragons vs. Sacramento Surge on April 27, 1991. The most carries in a game is 55 by the Scottish Claymores vs. Rhein on May 13, 1995.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 4
Galaxy bidding to end five-game losing streak in German capital
SHOULD the Rhein Fire defeat the Cologne Centurions on Saturday evening, the Frankfurt Galaxy will have to do something they have not done in Berlin since 2000 - avoid defeat on the road against the Berlin Thunder.
If they can achieve that feat with a win or a tie, it is the Galaxy who will grab the final berth in Yello Strom World Bowl XIV and face off against the Amsterdam Admirals on Saturday May 27.
After winning 32-19 in 1999 and 32-7 in 2000, the Galaxy has lost on each of its last five visits to the German capital.
Here are the results of Frankfurt's last five games against the Thunder in Berlin:
Year Result
2005 Lost 7-30
2004 Lost 0-41
2003 Lost 14-27
2002 Lost 7-27
2001 Lost 25-34
While his team has everything to play for and Berlin is only battling for pride, Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES is not expecting an easy ride at the Jahnstadion as he goes in search of his first road win against the Thunder.
He says: "Berlin won't just surrender to us. They won't be easy to beat at home. We need to prepare for every game in the same way, no matter who we play. The situation we are in right now doesn't put us under any big pressure."
NFLEL FACTS:Number One
Frankfurt Galaxy goes into the final game of the regular season leading the rankings in total offense and total defense. They are averaging 345.6 yards per game on offense and limiting opponents to 265.4 yards per game on defense. Frankfurt can become only the second team in NFLEL history to end a season ranked first on offense and defense, matching the achievements of the 1998 Amsterdam Admirals, who missed out on a World Bowl berth..
NFLEL FACTS: Roger That
When ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) rushes for 100 yards in a game, the result is, more often than not, a victory for the Frankfurt Galaxy. Robinson has topped the 100-yard mark a league record-tying six times this season and in those contests the Galaxy has posted a 4-2 mark.
Centurions out to play the spoiler role in Rhein Cup clash
WHILE the Rhein Fire will be playing to keep their World Bowl dreams alive on Saturday night, the Cologne Centurions will be aiming to lift The Rhein Cup: The Mayors' Trophy and play the spoiler role in the title race in the process.
The Centurions have won three of their last four games and head coach DAVID DUGGAN has admitted they would love nothing better than to end the season on a high with a win over Rhein that would give Cologne a 5-5 mark in 2006.
Turning his attention from last week's defeat of Berlin, he says: "I am now looking ahead to that team up the Rhein River, which is an important game for the city of Cologne and we want to represent the city well.
"This team has given a great effort all season long and hopefully that will continue next week. In fact, I know it will continue next week because this is a great group of players. As coaches, we are proud to have them playing for us."
The Fire has lost four of its last five games following a 4-0 start, prompting head coach JIM TOMSULA to say: "We have to re-group and finish the season."
The Fire currently holds The Rhein Cup having defeated the Centurions by a 20-10 scoreline in Week 3.
The fabulous trophy on offer on Saturday night is the result of a challenge between the mayors of the neighboring cities, JOACHIM ERWIN and FRITZ SCHRAMMA.
Since the launch of The Rhein Cup competition in 2005, the winner has always been the road team. Cologne were the inaugural winners with a Week 2 win in Düsseldorf in 2005 but the Fire countered with victories in Cologne in Week 9 of 2005 and Week 3 of this season.
NFLEL FACTS: Road Warriors
With three regular season games remaining, road teams have posted a 13-13-1 mark this season, compared to a 10-20 record for all of the 2005 campaign. Amsterdam has a 5-0 road record this year.
NFLEL FACTS: Top Scorers
Three of the top four TD scorers in NFL Europe are Amsterdam Admirals. WR CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers) leads the league with 8 scores and fellow WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) ranks second with 7. RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) rates fourth with 4 TDs, while K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) tops NFLEL with 68 points.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (7-2)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (29-29 in NFLEL,Plus 1-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Richard Kent (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 64-55
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 17-12 at Frankfurt (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 26.4 pts/game; 323.9 yds/game (rank 2); 84.7 yds rush/game (rank 6); 239.2 yds pass/game (rank 1)
Passing: Gibran Hamdan, 1,629 yds
Rushing: Larry Croom, 395 yds
Receiving: Skyler Fulton, 51 rec, 974 yds
DEFENSE: 22.2 pts/game; 325.3 yds/game (rank 5); 140.9 rush yds/game (rank 5); 184.4 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Claude Harriott, Earl Cochran, Tony Brown, 4.0
Interceptions: Cory Peoples, Justin Perkins, 2
- THIS WEEK: vs HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
Head coach BART ANDRUS takes his team back to Amsterdam for regular season finale on the back of a 5-0 road record, only the second in NFEL history (London Monarchs 1991). He says: "Winning in Frankfurt last week was a confidence builder. We are bringing some young guys through."... QB JARED ALLEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) made his second start of the season following Gibran Hamdan's season-ending injury, completing 14 of 22 passes for 139 yards. Has completed 66.7 per cent of his passes this season (44 of 66) and has a 75.0 passer rating with 3 TDs and 4 interceptions... QB REGGIE ROBERTSON (Oakland Raiders) completed 1 of 5 passes for 9 yards last week and has a 59.5 passer rating... RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) leads the team in rushing yards (see table) and is joint league leader with 4 rushing TDs... RB DIAMOND FERRI (Atlanta Falcons) gained 11 yards on 4 carries last week. Ranks fifth in the league in combined net yards with 766... WR CRAIG BRAGG (Chicago Bears) has 17 catches this season, including 3 for 37 yards against Hamburg in Week 7... WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe in receiving yards and receptions (see table), and last week set a new NFLEL record with his sixth 100-yard game of the season. His total of 974 is more than twice that of his nearest rival and he needs 50 yards in the final game to set NFLEL single-season record for receiving yards (1,023, Sean LaChapelle, Scotland, 1996)... WR CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers) caught only 1 pass for 9 yards last week and now ranks fourth in league with 440 yards and sixth with 27 catches. Caught 6 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown against Hamburg this year... French RB SANDINO OCTOBRE has 9 receptions for the season... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA returned to action after two weeks injured last week, catching 1 pass for 8 yards and returning 2 kicks for 39 yards. Leads the league with a 30.2-yard kickoff return average... TE TORY HUMPHREY
(Green Bay Packers) caught 4 passes for 33 yards last week and has 15 catches this season... DE EARL COCHRAN is joint team leader with 4 sacks after posting one last week among 3 tackles ... DE CLAUDE HARRIOTT is joint team leader with 4 sacks... DT TONY BROWN (Carolina Panthers) had 7 tackles and 1 sack last week and is joint team leader with 4 sacks... DE DARRELL LEE (Philadelphia Eagles) posted 7 tackles and 1 sack last week... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK had 1 tackle last week and ranks second on the team with 46... LB JEREMY CAIN (Chicago Bears) posted 5 tackles last week for 37 this season... Belgian DT PATRICE MAJONDO-MWAMBA posted 5 tackles last week... CB JUSTIN PERKINS (Kansas City Chiefs) returned his second interception of the season for a 70-yard TD last week. Posted 2 pass defenses and 2 tackles and has 36 tackles this season... S ATARI BIGBY (Green Bay Packers) leads the team with 58 tackles after adding a team-high 10 last week. Also had his first interception of the year... CB ABRAHAM ELIMIMIAN (Chicago Bears) had 5 tackles last week... S CORY PEOPLES (Philadelphia Eagles) ranks third on the team with 45 tackles... K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFLEL kickers with 68 points this season after his only FG attempt last week, from 35 yards. Is 14 of 17 on FGs for the season... P GLENN PAKULAK (Oakland Raiders) leads the league with a 42.2-yard average after punting 7 times for a 45.3-yard average last week to earn NFLEL Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Ber 25 14 246 1 2
Wk 2: at Col 22 9 209 1 1
Wk 3: vs Fra 15 12 189 3 0
Wk 4: at Ber 22 13 216 2 0
Wk 5: vs Rhe 22 15 244 3 0
Wk 6: at Rhe 21 14 203 2 0
Wk 7: at Ham 35 25 322 1 0
TOTAL 162 102 1,629* 12* 3
RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Ber 9 34 1 1 5 0
Wk 2: at Col 15 82 0 0 0 0
Wk 3: vs Fra 13 17 0 0 0 0
Wk 4: at Ber 11 80 0 2 6 0
Wk 5: vs Rhe 8 23 1 3 23 0
Wk 6: at Rhe 12 49 1 2 17 0
Wk 7: at Ham 3 17 0 1 6 0
Wk 8: vs Col 15 40 0 2 20 0
Wk 9: at Fra 11 53 1 1 4 0
TOTAL 97 395 4 11 81 0
WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Ber 6 131 1
Wk 2: at Col 5 105 1
Wk 3: vs Fra 4 144 2
Wk 4: at Ber 3 77 0
Wk 5: vs Rhe 6 113 2
Wk 6: at Rhe 5 95 0
Wk 7: at Ham 10 166 0
Wk 8: vs Col 6 38 0
Wk 9: at Fra 6 105 0
TOTAL 51* 974* 6
* Leads NFLEL
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (2-6-1)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (18-10-1 in NFLEL, plus 1-1 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Charles 'Yogi' Jones (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 40-38-1
MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak
Phone: 49-30-300-644-00
Fax: 49-30-300-644-77
E-mail: maik.matischak@berlin-thunder.de
Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de
LAST GAME: Lost 7-25 at Cologne (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 18.5 pts/game; 270.8 yds/game (rank 6); 88 rush yds/game (rank 5); 182.8 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Lang Campbell, 1,253 yds
Rushing: Marty Johnson, 416 yds
Receiving: Rich Musinski, 22 rec, 272 yds
DEFENSE: 25.2 pts/game; 382 yds/game (rank 6); 142.5 rush yds/game (rank 6); 239.4 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Christian Mohr, 4.5
Interceptions: Anthony Floyd, 3
- THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY -
Head coach RICK LANTZ saw his team drop a fourth game in a row last week and says: "We gave up big plays and that hurts. They played better than us, there's no doubt about that. They did a fine job. There are no excuses."... QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) has started every game for Berlin (see table) and ranks fourth in NFLEL with an 84.4 passer rating. Has not thrown an interception in the last five games although he did only attempt 8 passes in Cologne... QB B.J. SYMONS (Chicago Bears) completed 11 of 21 attempts for 130 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Has thrown for 305 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions in 2006 ... QB BRIAN WROBEL (Green Bay Packers) has thrown for 169 yards and 1 TD in 2006... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS has not rushed for more than 60 yards in a game this season (see table). Missed first meeting with Frankfurt through injury... RB MARTY JOHNSON leads the Thunder in rushing yards (see table) and ranks fourth in NFL Europe... WR RICH MUSINSKI (New England Patriots) caught 2 passes for 32 yards last week and has a team-high 22 receptions on the season for 272 yards and 4 scores... WR KERON HENRY (San Diego Chargers) has 14 receptions for 158 yards this season... Mexican WR ALEJANDRO GAMEZ caught 2 passes for 37 yards last week and has 10 for 161 and 1 TD this season... TE JASON RANDALL (Atlanta Falcons) caught his second TD of the season last week and now has 16 receptions for 198 yards... TE BEN MOA caught 2 passes for 8 yards last week and has 14 for 141 on the season... Finnish TE KLAUS ALINEN caught 1 pass for 0 yards last week and has 6 for 65 in 2006... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR leads the team with 4.5 sacks and has 26 tackles on the season... DE ELTON PATTERSON (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 5 tackles and 1 forced fumble last week. Has season totals of 17 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 passes batted down and 1 forced fumble... English DE DANIEL WATTS recorded 6 tackles and 1 sack last week, giving him 12 stops and 1 sack on the season. Has also recovered 1 fumble... Free agent LB KEVIN HARRISON led the Thunder with 14 tackles, 1 sack and 2 passes defended last week and ranks second on the defense with 55 tackles and 2 sacks this term... LB JERMAINE TAYLOR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) is ranked third on Berlin's
Defense with 53 tackles after adding 5 last week... CB ROBERT REDD (Atlanta Falcons) ranks second on the Thunder defense with 2 interceptions. Recorded 4 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week. Has 11 tackles, 5 passes defended and 7 receptions for 70 yards to his name this season... CB ANTWAUN ROGERS (Denver Broncos) recorded 5 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week. Has 39 tackles and 6 passes defended this season... S ANTHONY FLOYD (Houston Texans) leads the Thunder with 3 interceptions for 65 yards and also tops the club's defensive rankings with 57 tackles after adding 9 last week... German S OLIVER FLEMMING recorded 4 tackles last week, giving him 25 stops, 1 pass defense and 2 forced fumbles for the season. Has added 8 special teams takedowns to lead the team... K XAVIER BEITIA (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has 41 points this season after adding 1 PAT last week... P BRIAN SIMNJANOWSKI (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) ranks fourth in the NFLEL with a 39.2-yard average on a league-high 46 punts. Had 1 punt blocked last week, resulting in a Cologne safety.
QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Ams 26 16 139 1 0
Wk 2: vs Rhe 26 14 156 0 2
Wk 3: at Ham 27 13 219 1 1
Wk 4: vs Ams 16 11 117 0 1
Wk 5: vs Col 18 11 112 2 0
Wk 6: at Fra 15 12 134 2 0
Wk 7: at Rhe 28 17 175 2 0
Wk 8: vs Ham 35 16 190 2 0
Wk 9: at Col 8 4 11 0 0
TOTAL 199 114 1,253 10 4
RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS, GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Ams 17 60 1 1` 13 0
Wk 2: vs Rhe 5 13 0 2 6 0
Wk 3: at Ham 12 28 0 3 69 0
Wk 4: vs Ams DNP
Wk 5: vs Col 11 37 0 0 0 0
Wk 6: at Fra DNP
Wk 7: at Rhe 7 37 1 1 12 1
Wk 8: vs Ham 4 25 0 0 0 0
Wk 9: at Col 4 22 0 3 12 0
TOTAL 60 222 2 10 112 1
RB MARTY JOHNSON, GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Ams 15 58 0 1 1 0
Wk 2: vs Rhe 9 38 0 1 -1 0
Wk 3: at Ham 9 42 0 2 15 0
Wk 4: vs Ams 25 130 2 2 18 1
Wk 5: vs Col 7 49 0 3 22 0
Wk 6: at Fra 6 33 0 2 27 0
Wk 7: at Rhe 12 29 0 2 5 0
Wk 8: vs Ham 9 37 0 5 58 0
Wk 9: at Col DNP
TOTAL 92 416 2 18 145 1
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (4-5)Head Coach: David Duggan (4-5 in NFLEL)Colours: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Milanovich (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 13-16
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 25-7 vs Berlin (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 15.7 pts/game; 319 yds/game (rank 3); 145.1 rush yds/game (rank 2); 173.9 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Shane Boyd, 1,042 yds
Rushing: Fred Russell, 491 yds
Receiving: Jamall Broussard, 24 rec, Reggie Newhouse, 334 yds
DEFENSE: 16.5 pts/game; 282 yds/game (rank 3); 118 rush yds/game (rank 4); 164 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Bryan Save, 4.5
Interceptions: Kevin Curtis, 4
- THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE -
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN has been very happy with his club's revival in recent weeks. Following Sunday's defeat of Berlin, he said: "We played very well on both sides of the ball. We ran the ball very hard and well and our defense played well again."... QB SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) has started four games this season but played a reserve role last week (see table). Has rushed for 294 yards this season, meaning he needs 41 in the final game of the year to break the league's single season QB rushing mark of 334 set by Barcelona's Jon Kitna in 1997... QB KLIFF KINGSBURY (New York Jets) started for the fifth time this season and completed 11 of 17 passes for 201 yards and 1 touchdown. Has a QB rating of 75.5 this season having thrown for 589 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions... RB FRED RUSSELL (St. Louis Rams) ranks third in NFLEL in rushing (see table). Has not scored a TD in his last three games... WR JAMALL BROUSSARD (Cincinnati Bengals) leads the team in receptions (see table) but missed last week's game through injury... WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE caught 3 passes for 76 yards and 1 TD last week and has 21 receptions this year for a team-leading 334 yards and 2 scores... WR BRIAN BRATTON (Baltimore Ravens) caught 3 passes for 53 yards last week and has 21 for 241 and 2 TDs in 2006... WR MICHAEL GASPERSON (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 3 passes for 57 yards last week and has 16 catches for 199 yards this term. Blocked a punt that resulted in a Cologne safety last week... German TE WERNER HIPPLER played in a league record 95th game last week and has 93 career receptions for 957 yards and 3 touchdowns after adding an 11-yard reception... TE TRENT SMITH (San Francisco 49ers) caught 1 pass for 4 yards last week and has 19 receptions for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns this season... DT BRYAN SAVE recorded 3 tackles last week, giving him 33 for the year. Leads the Centurions with 4.5 sacks... DT ARRION DIXON (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded his second sack of the season last week and has 27 tackles this season... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT leads all Centurions and NFLEL defenders with 60
tackles this season... LB DAVID BERGERON (Carolina Panthers) ranks second on Cologne's defense with 42 stops after adding 3 last week... S KEVIN CURTIS (Houston Texans) leads the team with 4 interceptions and ranks third with 39 tackles after adding 1 last week... S RAYMOND VENTRONE (New England Patriots) ranks fourth on the team with 38 tackles after adding 2 last week. Also knocked down 1 pass last week, giving him 3 pass defenses on the season. Has also forced 4 fumbles... CB LANCE FRAZIER (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 2 tackles and defended 1 pass last week. Has made 27 tackles this season to go with his 1 interception and 6 pass defenses... CB MATT CLARK recorded 2 tackles last week to take his season tally to 17... CB MARK ESTELLE (Houston Texans) has knocked down a team-high 10 passes this term... K NICK SETTA (Buffalo Bills) converted all 3 of his field goal attempts last week. Has scored 32 points this season (8/11 FG, 8/9 PAT)... P GABE LINDSTROM (Seattle Seahawks) ranks second in the NFLEL with a 41.3-yard average.
QB SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Ham 9 5 29 0 1
Wk 2: vs Ams 15 9 142 0 0
Wk 3: vs Rhein 23 14 163 1 1
Wk 4: at Fra 18 12 141 1 2
Wk 5: at Ber 37 18 163 0 2
Wk 6: vs Ham 23 10 148 1 1
Wk 7: vs Fra 29 13 152 1 4
Wk 8: at Ams 9 6 54 1 0
Wk 9: vs Ber 9 6 50 0 0
TOTAL 172 93 1,042 5 11
RB FRED RUSSELL (St. Louis Rams), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Ham 22 85 0 2 6 0
Wk 2: vs Ams 19 69 0 2 43 0
WK 3: vs Rhein 12 35 0 1 5 0
Wk 4: at Fra 13 62 0 5 29 0
Wk 5: at Ber 11 32 2 3 17 0
Wk 6: vs Ham 23 84 1 0 0 0
Wk 7: vs Fra 7 10 0 1 11 0
Wk 8: at Ams 22 47 0 5 52 0
Wk 9: vs Ber 19 67 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 148 491 3 19 163 0
WR JAMALL BROUSSARD (Cincinnati Bengals), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Ham 4 31 0
Wk 2: vs Ams 6 89 0
Wk 3: vs Rhein 3 12 0
Wk 4: at Fra 3 40 0
Wk 5: at Ber 2 15 0
Wk 6: vs Ham 4 73 0
Wk 7: vs Fra 1 -1 0
Wk 8: at Ams 1 3 0
Wk 9: vs Ber DNP
TOTAL 24 262 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (6-3)Head Coach: Mike Jones (16-13) in NFLEL, plus 0-1 in World Bowl.Colours: Purple, orange, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O'Neil (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 74-65
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: Lost 12-17 vs Amsterdam (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 17.6 pts/game; 345.6 yds/game (rank 1); 172.2 rush yds/game (rank 1); 173.3 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Craig Ochs, 993 yds
Rushing: Roger Robinson, 954 yds
Receiving: Aaron Hosack, 36 rec, 473 yds
DEFENSE: 16.3 pts/game; 265.4 yds/game (rank 1); 98.6 rush yds/game (rank 2); 166.9 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Jerome Nichols, 5.0
Interceptions: Brandon Haw, 4
- THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER -
Head coach MIKE JONES takes his team to Berlin looking for the win that will clinch a World Bowl berth after missing an opportunity in last week's loss to Amsterdam. He says: "Nothing has really changed. We are going into Berlin to try to win the game."... QB CRAIG OCHS (Buffalo Bills) made his fourth start of the season last week (see table). Has a QB rating of 85.2 to rank second in NFL Europe... QB JEFF OTIS (Arizona Cardinals) started the opening five games of the season and has thrown for 487 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. Has passer rating of 84.7... QB BRYSON SPINNER (San Francisco 49ers) completed 4 of 14 passes for 36 yards last week and rushed 2 times for 30 yards... RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) leads NFL Europe in rushing yards (see table). Posted an NFLEL record-equalling sixth 100-yard rushing day last week. Needs 46 yards to become fourth man in NFLEL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and needs 104 yards to set new single-season NFLEL record (1,057, Mike Green, Barcelona 2001)... RB J.R. NIKLOS caught 2 passes for 14 yards last week... RB BUTCHIE WALLACE gained 50 yards on 10 carries last week and has 275 yards at a 4.4-yard average this season. Gained 52 yards on 11 rushes against Berlin this season... WR AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings) leads the Galaxy in receptions and receiving yards (see table) and ranks second in NFLEL in catches and third in receiving yards... WR WALTER YOUNG (Pittsburgh Steelers) had a team-high 5 catches for 63 yards last week and ranks second on the team with 29 catches for 335 yards... TE KEITH WILLIS (Seattle Seahawks) caught 1 pass for a 29-yard TD last week and has 16 catches this year, including 3 for 52 yards against Berlin in Week 6...German DE ULRICH WINKLER has 10 stops and 1 sack this season... German DE DANIEL BENETKA had 2 tackles last week and has 14 on the year... DE JOSH COOPER posted 4 tackles last week for 23 on the season... DT JEROME NICHOLS (Green Bay Packers) leads the team with 5 sacks after posting 2 and forcing a fumble last week... LB MATT SINCLAIR (Miami Dolphins) posted 4 tackles
last week and ranks third on the team with 40... LB JARED NEWBERRY (Tennessee Titans) posted 5 tackles last week and has 47 for the season to rank second on the defense... LB TRAVIS HARRIS leads the Galaxy with 50 tackles after adding 4 last week.... CB LENNY WILLIAMS (Dallas Cowboys) recorded 4 tackles last week. Second on the team with 3 interceptions this season... S BRANDON HAW is tied for the NFLEL lead with 4 interceptions, Posted 4 tackles last week... CB BILL ALFORD posted 4 tackles and broke up 2 passes last week... K DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) ranks second among NFLEL kickers with 62 points, including 16 of 24 FGs. Made kicks from 43 and 29 yards last week but missed from 42 and 39. Kicked a game-winning 25-yard FG with 0:02 remaining against Berlin in Week 6.
QB CRAIG OCHS (Buffalo Bills), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Rhein DNP
Wk 2: vs Ham 15 12 125 1 0
Wk 3: at Ams DNP
Wk 4: vs Col 16 8 100 1 1
Wk 5: at Ham 14 9 162 1 0
Wk 6: vs Ber 27 18 172 0 0
Wk 7: at Col 14 7 123 1 0
Wk 8: vs Rhe 32 18 171 1 1
Wk 9: vs Ams 18 10 140 1 2
TOTAL 136 82 853 6 4
RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Rhein 26 103 0 1 0 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 23 150 1 3 26 0
Wk 3: at Ams 14 95 1 2 4 0
Wk 4: vs Col 25 128 1 1 10 0
Wk 5: at Ham DNP
Wk 6: vs Ber 27 146 1 3 45 0
Wk 7: at Col 22 67 0 1 7 0
Wk 8: vs Rhe 20 144 0 0 0 0
Wk 9: vs Ams 25 121 0 1 9 0
TOTAL 182* 954* 4* 12 101 0
WR AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Rhein 1 10 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 5 70 1
Wk 3: at Ams 5 61 1
Wk 4: vs Col 3 37 0
Wk 5: at Ham 7 102 1
Wk 6: vs Ber 3 18 0
Wk 7: at Col 4 95 1
Wk 8: vs Rhe 4 26 0
Wk 9: vs Ams 4 57 0
TOTAL 36 473 4
* Leads NFL Europe
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (2-6-1)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (68-70-1 in NFLEL, 2-5 in post-season)Colours: Dark blue, teal, red
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 7-11-1
MEDIA CONTACT: Thomas Bothstede
Phone: 49-407-525-590
Fax: 49-407-525-5959
E-mail: pr@hamburg-seadevils.de
Internet: www.hamburg-seadevils.de
LAST GAME: Won 13-10 vs Rhein (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 17.8 pts/game; 284.1 yds/game (rank 5); 102.9 rush yds/game (rank 4); 181.2 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Brock Berlin, 950 yds
Rushing: Mike Jemison, 368 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready, 37 rec, 455 yds
DEFENSE: 19.1 pts/game; 321.1 yds/game (rank 4); 110.2 rush yds/game (rank 3); 210.9 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Scott Scharff, 6.0
Interceptions: Rayshun Reed, 3
- THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
Head coach JACK BICKNELL admits he is yet to decide if he will return for a 15th NFLEL season - and a third with Hamburg - in 2007, saying: "I am 68 years old and I need time to decide. I have been doing this for 14 seasons and I don't think I have lost my fastball yet."... QB BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins) started the first six games of the year (see table) but has thrown for 387 yards and 4 touchdowns coming off the bench in the past two weeks... QB TODD MORTENSEN (New England Patriots) made his second start of the year last week and hit on 3 of 5 attempts for 25 yards. Has thrown for 326 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception in 2006... RB MIKE JEMISON (Pittsburgh Steelers) leads the team in rushing (see table) but missed a third game in a row with a rib injury... RB DEJUAN GREEN (Oakland Raiders) carried 18 times for 45 yards last week and added 2 receptions for 14 yards. Has gained 175 yards on 44 carries this term... English RB JERMAINE ALLEN has rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries in his first season of professional football... English WR SCOTT McCREADY leads the Sea Devils in receptions and receiving yards (see table) and scored his second TD in as many games last week. Ranks second all time in NFL Europe with 178 career receptions and 2,048 receiving yards. Was named National Player of the Week for the third time this season... WR RICKY BRYANT caught 2 passes for 17 yards last week... WR RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) caught 2 passes for 25 yards last week and has 20 receptions this season... WR NATE CURRY (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 3 passes for 53 yards last week and has 18 receptions this season... WR JOVAN WITHERSPOON (New York Jets) caught 2 passes for 13 yards last week and has 11 for 138 and 3 TDs this season... DE SCOTT SCHARFF (San Francisco 49ers) leads the league with 6 quarterback sacks after adding 2 among 3 tackles last weekend... DE IVORY McCOY registered 3 stops and 1 sack for 7 yards last week, giving him season totals of 13 tackles, 2 sacks and a pair of
forced fumbles... DT KEYONTA MARSHALL (Philadelphia Eagles) posted 1 tackle last week and has 23 and 2 sacks on the season... LB KRIS GRIFFIN (Kansas City Chiefs) ranks third on Hamburg's defense with 35 tackles after adding 1 last week... English LB ADEN DURDE has 27 tackles for the season but missed last week's game through injury... LB SCOTT GENORD has 29 tackles in 2006... LB RUSSEL RABE (New Orleans Saints) recorded 6 tackles and 2 sacks to be named Defensive Player of the Week... CB RAYSHUN REED leads the Sea Devils with 3 interceptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Has also scored on a fumble return and added 32 tackles, 9 passes defended, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles... S SHAWN MAYER (Cleveland Browns) leads the Sea Devils with 52 tackles after adding 8 last week... S JASON SHIVERS (NY Giants) ranks second on the club with 43 tackles... German S CLAUDIUS OSEI recorded 4 tackles last week and has 30 this season... K TYLER JONES (Washington Redskins) converted field goals covering 28 and 31 yards last week and ranks fourth among NFLEL kickers with 46 points (9/12 FG, 19/19 PATs)... P ADAM ANDERSON (Detroit Lions) ranks third in NFL Europe with a 40.2-yard average on 45 punts.
QB BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Col 25 10 129 1 3
Wk 2: at Fra 27 16 122 1 0
Wk 3: vs Ber 22 12 70 0 0
Wk 4: at Rhe 22 10 102 1 2
Wk 5: vs Fra 19 8 93 0 0
Wk 6: at Col 7 4 47 0 1
Wk 7: vs Ams DNP
Wk 8: at Ber 15 12 183 3 0
Wk 9: vs Rhe 28 17 204 1 1
TOTAL 165 89 950 7 7
RB MIKE JEMISON (Pittsburgh Steelers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Col 18 80 0 3 32 0
Wk 2: at Fra 12 42 0 4 30 0
Wk 3: vs Ber 26 88 0 6 35 0
Wk 4: at Rhe 16 62 0 1 5 0
Wk 5: vs Fra 20 64 0 4 46 0
Wk 6: at Col 9 32 0 0 0 0
Wk 7: vs Ams DNP
Wk 8: at Ber DNP
Wk 9: vs Rhe DNP
TOTAL 101 368 0 18 148 0
WR SCOTT McCREADY, GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Col 2 14 0
Wk 2: at Fra 8 95 0
Wk 3: vs Ber 3 19 0
Wk 4: at Rhe 4 34 0
Wk 5: vs Fra 1 8 0
Wk 6: at Col 6 139 0
Wk 7: vs Ams DNP
Wk 8: at Ber 6 59 1
Wk 9: vs Rhe 7 87 1
TOTAL 37 455 2
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (5-4)Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (5-4 in NFLEL)Colours: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Logan (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 63-56
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 10-13 at Hamburg (5/14/06)
OFFENSE: 20.7 pts/game; 306.2 yds/game (rank 4); 110.2 rush yds/game (rank 3); 196 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Drew Henson, 1,188 yds
Rushing: Fredrick Jackson, 577 yds
Receiving: Chris Samp, 32 rec, 400 yds
DEFENSE: 17.2 pts/game; 273.7 yds/game (rank 2); 92.9 rush yds/game (rank 1); 180.8 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Derrick Strong, 5.0
Interceptions: Ronyell Whitaker, 4
- THIS WEEK: vs COLOGNE CENTURIONS -
Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA saw his team lose a close game in Hamburg last week. He says: "Hamburg played very well on defense and that really stopped us from getting into a rhythm. We were not really able to get anything done with our running game. Timmy Chang played well but our receivers just were not open much."... QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys) started the first eight games this season (see table) but missed last week's loss to Hamburg with a knee injury. Ranks third in NFLEL with a passer rating of 84.7... QB TIMMY CHANG (Philadelphia Eagles) made his first start of the year last week and hit on 14 of 26 attempts for 164 yards. Has thrown for 659 yards and 4 scores this term... RB JACQUE LEWIS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) rushed for a team-high 50 yards on 9 carries last week and has 347 yards and 4 TDs on the ground this season. Has added 17 receptions... RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills) leads the Fire in rushing (see table) and ranks second in the NFLEL. His 892 yards from scrimmage rank third in NFL Europe... French RB LAURENT MARCELINE has 9 receptions for 86 yards this season... WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) leads the team in receptions and yards (see table). Was held to a season low receiving yardage total last week... WR KENDRICK STARLING (Houston Texans) was held without a catch last week. Has 12 receptions for 309 yards and 3 TDs in 2006... English WR MARVIN ALLEN caught a 13-yard pass last week and has 6 receptions for 79 yards and 1 TD this season... TE AARON HALTERMAN (Houston Texans) was held without a catch last week and has 25 for 265 on the season to rank third on the team... DE DERRICK STRONG leads the Fire with 5 sacks and has 25 tackles after adding 3 stops and 1 sack last week... DE WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) knocked down 1 pass in Hamburg. Has 18 tackles to his name this season... German DE PATRICK FINKE made his first start of the year last week and recorded 2 tackles. Has 5 tackles and 1 pass defense in 2006... DT JA'WAREN BLAIR recorded 5 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week. Has notched 21 tackles and 1 sack this year... DT ZACH VILLE (Kansas City Chiefs) posted 2 stops
and 1 sack last week, giving him 16 tackles and 2 sacks for the year... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON is in his third season with the Rhein Fire and leads the team with 52 tackles after adding 6 stops and 1 fumble recovery last week... LB GUY TUELL made a team-high 7 tackles last week and has 32 this term... German LB RICHARD ADJEI has made 14 tackles this spring... CB RONYELL WHITAKER (Minnesota Vikings) leads the Fire and NFL Europe with 4 interceptions after returning a pick 100 yards for a TD in Hamburg last week. Ranks second on defense with 40 tackles and has defended 11 passes... CB REGGIE AUSTIN (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 3 tackles last weekend... S MITCH MEEUWSEN (San Diego Chargers) posted 4 tackles last week and has 24, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 2006... S SIDDEEQ SHABAZZ (Miami Dolphins) recorded 6 tackles last week and has 35 this season... Swedish K OLA KIMRIN (Miami Dolphins) is in his fourth NFLEL season (Frankfurt 2001-02, Cologne 2004). Ranks third among NFLEL kickers with 54 points (11/17 FG, 21/21 PAT). Needs to score 19 points to reach 200 for his career.
QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Fra 11 5 58 0 0
Wk 2: at Ber 24 17 171 1 0
Wk 3: at Col 28 14 165 1 1
Wk 4: vs Ham 23 15 192 2 0
Wk 5: at Ams 29 16 187 2 1
Wk 6: vs Ams 34 16 157 2 1
Wk 7: vs Ber 21 13 219 1 0
Wk 8: at Fra 13 5 39 0 0
Wk 9: at Ham DNP
TOTAL 184 102 1,188 9 3
RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Fra 12 48 0 4 40 0
Wk 2: at Ber 16 63 0 4 56 0
Wk 3: at Col 27 96 1 2 13 0
Wk 4: vs Ham 20 79 0 2 31 0
Wk 5: at Ams 16 39 0 2 27 0
Wk 6: vs Ams 12 71 0 1 4 0
Wk 7: vs Ber 13 123 0 2 43 0
Wk 8: at Fra 10 30 0 3 13 0
Wk 9: at Ham 9 28 0 6 92 0
TOTAL 135 577 1 26 315 0
WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Fra 1 16 0 (threw 45-yard TD pass)
Wk 2: at Ber 6 68 0
Wk 3: at Col 4 33 0
Wk 4: vs Ham 2 11 0
Wk 5: at Ams 6 76 2
Wk 6: vs Ams 4 59 1
Wk 7: vs Ber 5 100 2
Wk 8: at Fra 3 34 0
Wk 9: at Ham 1 3 0
TOTAL 32 400 5
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 11
FRANKFURT GALAXY (6-3)
at BERLIN THUNDER (2-6-1)
Jahnstadion, Berlin, Saturday May 20, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Berlin leads 8-7 (Berlin leads 1-0 in World Bowls)
At Berlin: Berlin leads 5-2
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 5-3
Streak: Frankfurt 1
This Season: Berlin 17 at Frankfurt 18 (Week 6)
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/ DirecTV (12 noon ET, Saturday May 20). DELAY/NFL Network (5:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 20)
Play-by-play announcer CHRIS CARRINO is joined in the broadcast booth by is former Seattle Seahawks quarterback BROCK HUARD.
COACHES
MIKE JONES is in his third season with the Galaxy and is one win or tie away from a second World Bowl appearance. Served as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff from 1995-2000 and again in 2002-2003, winning World Bowls in 1998 and 2000... RICK LANTZ has lost four games in a row as head coach of the Thunder. Won a World Bowl ring in 2004 against the Jones-led Galaxy and guided Berlin to the title game last season.
GAME NOTES
Frankfurt heads to Berlin knowing a win or a tie - or a Rhein Fire loss - will be enough to send them to a league record seventh World Bowl appearance... The Galaxy won World Bowl titles in 1995, 1999 and 2003... Frankfurt has lost on its last five visits to Berlin but can take heart from the fact that this weekend's game will be played at the Jahnstadion, where the Galaxy won the first two meetings between the clubs in the German capital... The Galaxy boasts the league's top-ranked offense and number one defense. Should they end the season top in total offense and total defense they would match the achievements of the 1998 Amsterdam Admirals, who missed out on a World Bowl berth... The league's top-ranked rushing attack takes on NFL Europe's weakest run defense. Frankfurt is averaging 172.2 yards per game on the ground and is on pace to break the single season rushing record of 1,686 set by the 1999 Rhein Fire. Frankfurt needs 137 rushing yards to break the record. Berlin is allowing opponents to gain 142.6 rushing yards per game... The quarterbacks of Berlin and Frankfurt have taken care of the football this season, with each club throwing a league-low 6 interceptions in nine games... Thunder quarterbacks have completed an NFLEL-low 52.4 percent of their passes this season. Frankfurt's passers rank fourth with a 54.9 completion percentage... Berlin's quarterbacks have been sacked just 11 times this season - the joint-lowest total allowed in the league in 2006... Berlin leads NFL Europe with an average of 23.9 yards per kickoff return... Frankfurt is the most successful team in the league this year on third down, converting 41.6 percent of 125 attempts... Berlin's defense has conceded 25 points or more in its last three contests - all of which have been losses... Frankfurt has not scored more than 20 points in a game since a 21-14 victory over Cologne in Week 4. They have scored 20 points or more in only three of their nine games played this season... Frankfurt's most successful quarter has been the second period, during which time they have scored 57 points. But that is also when they have given up the most points, conceding 54... Berlin has been outscored 34 points to 14 in the first quarter... In the last game between the teams, K DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) converted 4 field goals, including a match-winner with 2 seconds left to lift Frankfurt to victory... RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) added 146 rushing yards and 1 TD.
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (4-5)
at RHEIN FIRE (5-4)
LTU arena, Düsseldorf, Saturday May 20, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Rhein leads 3-2
At Rhein: Series tied 1-1
At Cologne: Rhein leads 2-1
Streak: Rhein 2
This Season: Rhein 20 at Cologne 10 (Week 3)
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 20)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: LIVE/NASN (7:00 p.m. CET, Saturday May 20)
UK: DELAY/NASN (6:00 p.m. BST, Monday May 22)
The regular FOX NFL Sunday pairing of CURT MENEFEE and former Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman BRIAN BALDINGER call the action from Düsseldorf.
COACHES
DAVID DUGGAN is in his first season as an NFLEL head coach and has recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this year with victories over Amsterdam and Berlin. Won two World Bowl rings as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder in 2001 and 2002... JIM TOMSULA is in his first season as an NFLEL head coach and has five wins to his name, although he has seen his team lose four of its last five outings. Won a World Bowl ring as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder in 2004.
GAME NOTES
The Fire rounds out its home schedule clinging to the dream of hosting World Bowl in its own LTU arena on Saturday May 27... First, Rhein needs to defeat the Cologne Centurions and then hope the Berlin Thunder knocks off the Frankfurt Galaxy... Those results would see the Fire qualify for a record-tying sixth World Bowl appearance. The club lifted the famous World Bowl trophy in 1998 and 2000... Cologne is bidding to end the season at .500 and should they defeat Rhein by more than 10 points they would steal third place in the final standings... Cologne has won three of its last four games, while the Fire has lost four of five after opening the year with a perfect 4-0 mark... Should the Fire miss out on a World Bowl berth they would become just the second team in league history to open a season 4-0 and miss out on the championship game. The other to achieve that unwanted feat was the 2002 Frankfurt Galaxy... Rhein ranks fourth in total offense and second in total defense, while Cologne ranks third in both departments... The teams head the turnover ratio rankings. Rhein ranks first with a +8 ranking (22 takeaways to 14 giveaways) while Cologne has a +2 ratio (22 takeaways to 20 giveaways)... Cologne's quarterbacks have thrown a league-high 13 picks this season... Cologne's pass defense is the best in NFL Europe, limiting opponents to 164 passing yards per game and an NFLEL-low 49.6 completion percentage... The Centurions defense also ranks joint-second in NFL Europe with 17 sacks... Cologne's 303 rushes are the second-most among NFLEL teams and their average of 4.3 yards per carry also ranks second in the league... Fire quarterbacks have been sacked 20 times this season - the second-highest amount in the league... Only the Amsterdam Admirals (238) have scored more points than the Rhein Fire (186) this season... In first meeting between the clubs, QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys) threw a TD pass to WR KENDRICK STARLING (Houston Texans) and RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills) also found the end zone as the Fire ran out 20-10 winners.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK NINE RECAP NFL Europe 2006, Week 10 - Page 12
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (2-6-1)
at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (7-2)
Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Saturday May 20, 7p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Amsterdam leads 2-1
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 1-0
At Hamburg: Series tied 1-1
Streak: Amsterdam 2
This season: Amsterdam 18 at Hamburg 17 (Week 7)
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/NFL Network (9:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 20)
PAUL BURMEISTER is joined in the broadcast booth by former Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXX MVP defensive back LARRY BROWN.
COACHES
JACK BICKNELL is in his 14th season in NFL Europe and has taken his league-leading regular season victory total to 68 with a win against Rhein last week. Has one World Bowl ring in his collection having led Barcelona to glory in 1997... BART ANDRUS is the reigning NFL Europe League Coach of the Year and has guided the Admirals to a second straight World Bowl appearance. Has won 14 of his last 20 games in charge of the Admirals, including a World Bowl victory over Berlin last June. Also won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000.
GAME NOTES
The Admirals have qualified for a second straight World Bowl and a third in club history... Amsterdam needs a win against the Sea Devils on Saturday to record the second-best single season mark in club history at 8-2, which would stand behind the 9-1 record the team posted in 1995. That 1995 campaign saw them lose to Frankfurt in the World Bowl... The Sea Devils will look for a third consecutive victory to end their season having recorded back-to-back wins over Berlin and Rhein... Amsterdam has produced more offensive plays covering 20+ yards than any other team in the league with 39 (10 rush, 29 pass)... The Admirals are averaging an NFLEL-best 14.2 yards per pass completion and have scored a league-leading 28 touchdowns, 17 through the air... Admirals quarterbacks have been sacked a league-high 23 times but have still stood strong to complete an NFLEL-best 61.1 percent of their passes... Hamburg's defense leads NFL Europe with 20 quarterback sacks... The Sea Devils rank sixth in NFL Europe in terms of offensive plays covering 20+ yards with 22 (4 rush, 18 pass)... Hamburg ranks sixth in NFL Europe with a -6 turnover ratio (11 takeaways to 17 giveaways). Amsterdam ranks fifth with a -2 rating (15 takeaways to 17 giveaways)... Amsterdam has converted a league-high 82.4 percent of its 17 field goal attempts this season... The Admirals have scored a league-high 4 touchdowns on returns or recoveries this term. Hamburg has twice found the end zone on returns or recoveries... Hamburg has lost a league-low 3 fumbles this year... Both teams are averaging 3.8 yards per running play this season... Amsterdam has held the football for less time than any other club this season with an average time of possession of 27:42 per game... In the last meeting between the teams, K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) landed 4 field goals, including a game-winner with 12 seconds remaining, to lift the Admirals to a one-point victory. QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) threw for 322 yards and 1 score, while WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) caught 10 passes for 166 yards.
- WEEK NINE RECAP -
Berlin Thunder 7, Cologne Centurions 25
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 12,438)
Jamaal Branch (Col) 124 rushing yards, 1 TD
Kliff Kingsbury (Col) 201 passing yards, 1 TD
B.J. Symons (Ber) 130 passing yards, 1 TD
Kevin Harrison (Ber) 14 tackles, 1 sack
Rhein Fire 10, Hamburg Sea Devils 13
(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 16,823)
Brock Berlin (Ham) 204 passing yards, 1 TD
Scott McCready (Ham) 7 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD
Fred Jackson (Rhe) 120 total yards of offense
Russell Rabe (Ham) 6 tackles, 2 sacks
Amsterdam Admirals 17, Frankfurt Galaxy 12
(Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Attendance: 31,769)
Roger Robinson (Fra) 121 rushing yards
Skyler Fulton (Ams) 6 receptions, 105 yards
Justin Perkins (Ams) 70-yard int return for TD
Atari Bigby (Ams) 10 tackles, 1 interception
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National Football League Europa Stories from May 16, 2006
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