Admirals within touching distance of World Bowl
May 2, 2006 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
AND then there were three. With three weeks of the regular season remaining, just three teams are left standing on the road to Yello Strom World Bowl XIV.
While the Rhein Fire and Frankfurt Galaxy are in good shape at 5-2, it is the league-leading Amsterdam Admirals who have the first shot at reaching the title game. Should the Admirals defeat Cologne on Saturday night - coupled with a Frankfurt victory over Rhein - the Dutch club would advance to a second straight championship game.
The Week 8 slate begins with the Amsterdam Admirals playing host to a Cologne Centurions (2-5) club playing for pride following their elimination from World Bowl contention last weekend.
Also on Saturday, the biggest Deutschland Derby since World Bowl XI in 2003 takes place at Commerzbank Arena as the Rhein Fire (5-2) visits the Frankfurt Galaxy (5-2).
The action concludes on Sunday afternoon as the winless Hamburg Sea Devils (0-6-1) visit the Berlin Thunder (2-4-1).
WEEK EIGHT SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MAY 6
Cologne Centurions at Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 7:00 p.m.
Rhein Fire at Frankfurt Galaxy
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, 7:00 p.m.
SUNDAY MAY 7
Hamburg Sea Devils at Berlin Thunder
Olympiastadion, Berlin, 4:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 7
OFFENSIVE - GIBRAN HAMDAN - QB, Amsterdam
Completed 25 of 35 passes for 322 yards and 1 TD;
Compiled a QB rating of 109.5
DEFENSIVE - BRANDON HAW - S, Frankfurt
3 interceptions for 43 yards, 5 passes defended
SPECIAL TEAMS - RYAN KILLEEN - K, Amsterdam
Kicked 4 FG, including game-winner with 0:12 left
NATIONAL - JERMAINE ALLEN - RB, Hamburg
Rushed for 37 yards on 7 carries and added 3
receptions for 33 yards
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 2
COVER STORY (continued)
After seeing his team move one step closer to repeating as World Bowl champions with a come-from-behind win in Hamburg, Amsterdam Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS was full of praise for his players.
He says: "I am very proud of our team. That could be our sweetest win of the year. To kick a winning field goal under pressure like that was great. A road win is always tough in this league but our guys thought they could come through, even when they were 17-3 down."
After seeing his team fall out of the World Bowl race last weekend, Cologne Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN does not expect an emotional let-down among his players, stating: "I have a tremendous amount of faith in this group that they will see the value in representing the city of Cologne and winning the last three games while playing well individually and improving their level of play. I know this group will be easy to motivate this week."
Motivating the Rhein Fire players will not be a problem this week ahead of their monumental clash with the Frankfurt Galaxy. But head coach JIM TOMSULA will be insisting his players come up with a more polished performance following an error-filled win over Berlin last week.
Tomsula says: "Our play against Berlin was not where we need it to be. We turned the football over four times and that cannot happen. The good thing is that we came out with a win but that's not always going to happen. We cannot play against ourselves and the opposition. Playing against the opposition is hard enough."
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES saw his team win for the fourth week in a row on Sunday and is calling for a big crowd in Frankfurt this weekend when they face their fiercest rivals.
He says: "It was great to see so many purple jerseys in the crowd in Cologne on Sunday. It really helps our players. Let's hope our crowd can come out and make a lot of noise next week to make life difficult for the Rhein Fire."
Berlin Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ rolled the dice during last weekend's loss to the Rhein Fire but his offense failed to convert a fourth and one opportunity at their own 37-yard line with two minutes remaining. Lantz had no regrets, insisting: "It is not the first time I have gone for it on fourth down and it won't be the last."
After seeing his club lose a final quarter lead for the fifth game in a row, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "I have no clue why we lose in the fourth quarter. We play hard and have a great attitude. We just don't make the plays when we have to. Our fans were great last week. They were fantastic and we appreciate their support. They deserve a winner."
Stakes high as Deutschland Derby rivals chase NFLEL glory
THEY have faced off in World Bowls and battled in front of league record crowds, so the Rhein Fire and Frankfurt Galaxy have always enjoyed a special rivalry in NFLEL history.
And this weekend's meeting at Commerzbank Arena will be as important as any previous clash between two clubs who have been butting heads since the 1995 campaign.
With both teams enjoying outstanding seasons at 5-2 - just one game behind the league-leading Amsterdam Admirals - Saturday's showdown will be the biggest Deutschland Derby since the Galaxy defeated the Fire in World Bowl XI in Glasgow, Scotland, in June, 2003.
Having won his first contest as a head coach against the Galaxy - 10-6 in Week 1 - the Fire's JIM TOMSULA knows how much victory over Frankfurt means to the fans in Düsseldorf and is looking forward to a monumental challenge this weekend.
He says: "If you take everything else away from it, it's a Rhein Fire-Frankfurt Galaxy game, which is different anyway. When you put in the implications of both teams having the same record and where everything stands, it adds even more to the game.
"We're hoping that all our Rhein Fire fans come on down there. That will be exciting because when you talk about the atmosphere in Frankfurt, it is different."
While the Fire has only lost to the Admirals this season, victory in Frankfurt is not going to be a walk in the park. Far from it, in fact as the Galaxy owns the second-longest winning streak in NFL Europe behind Amsterdam.
Frankfurt has won four regular season games in a row for the first time since the opening month of the 2002 campaign (Weeks 1 to 4).
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "This team has shown character and resilience. We know we have to take care of our own business and we cannot focus on anyone else. I don't think our players were looking ahead to the Rhein Fire when we played Cologne. Thinking about teams ahead of us is not something we want to do."
NFLEL FACTS: Eyes On The Ball
Frankfurt Galaxy offensive players will be told to take special care of the football when facing the Rhein Fire this weekend. The Fire leads NFL Europe with 19 takeaways this season (9 interceptions, 10 fumbles) for an NFLEL-high +6 turnover ratio. But Frankfurt has given the ball away a league-low 9 times this season (3 interceptions, 6 fumbles) to ranks second with a +1 mark.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 3
Close contests and exciting finishes par for course in NFLEL
ALL three of the games played in Week 7 were decided by one score or less (8 points) and all of the winning points came inside the final three minutes, making for another weekend of exciting NFL Europe League action.
Such endings should not come as a surprise to regular followers of the NFL Europe League as close games are par for the course. Of the 21 regular season games played to date in 2006, 14 have been decided by one score or less.
The Amsterdam Admirals advanced to 6-1 on the season with an 18-17 win over the Hamburg Sea Devils that came courtesy of a 34-yard field goal by RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) with 12 seconds remaining.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "I am full of praise for Ryan Killeen. To kick a winning field goal under pressure like that was great."
In Düsseldorf, the Rhein Fire improved to 5-2 with a 27-24 victory over the Berlin Thunder. Their winning points came on a 28-yard field goal by Swedish kicker OLA KIMRIN (Miami Dolphins) as time expired.
Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA says: "I trusted Ola to make that kick. We trust in each other as a team and players are expected to perform when they are on the field. Our guys like that."
The Frankfurt Galaxy remained hot on the heels of the Admirals with a 17-10 victory over the Cologne Centurions on Sunday afternoon. Frankfurt's winning score came with 2:47 remaining as CRAIG OCHS (Buffalo Bills) fired a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings).
NFLEL FACTS: Happy Holmgren
He may have been busy with the NFL Draft this past weekend but when Seattle Seahawks head coach MIKE HOLMGREN sits down to watch tapes of the NFLEL Week 7 action, he will be very pleased with what he sees. Amsterdam QB GIBRAN HAMDAN compiled a 100+ passer rating for the fifth week in a row while throwing for 322 yards against Hamburg, although he suffered a broken ankle. In the same game, WR SKYLER FULTON caught 10 passes for 166 yards, while K RYAN KILLEEN landed 4 field goals, including the game-winner with 12 seconds left. Frankfurt S BRANDON HAW was also in outstanding form at the weekend, recording an NFLEL record-tying 3 interceptions during his club's defeat of the Cologne Centurions. Hamdan, Haw and Killeen all won Player of the Week honors for their efforts, making it a Seahawks hat-trick.
Hamdan sees injury end season for second year in row
FOR the second season in a row, Amsterdam Admirals quarterback GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) has seen his NFL Europe League campaign cut short by injury.
Hamdan suffered a broken ankle during Saturday's defeat of the Hamburg Sea Devils and will miss the remainder of the 2006 season.
Hamdan was enjoying the best statistical season of any quarterback in NFLEL history. His passer rating of 113.4 will go down as a new league record, surpassing the previous mark of 107.3 set by Kevin Daft, of the Scottish Claymores, in 2000.
Before having his season cut short, Hamdan had climbed to the top of the NFLEL rankings by completing 102 of 162 passes for 1,629 yards, 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
And in the last five weeks, the third-year quarterback - who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2005 - had taken his game to another level, topping the 100 passer rating mark in victories over Frankfurt, Berlin, Rhein (twice) and Hamburg.
Here is a look at Hamdan's five 100+ QB rating games this season:
Week Opponent Yards TD Rating
3 Frankfurt 189 3 158.3
4 at Berlin 216 2 122.6
5 Rhein 244 3 144.7
6 at Rhein 203 1 114.0
7 at Hamburg 322 1 109.6
During that five-game span, Hamdan won Offensive Player of the Week honors on three occasions (vs Frankfurt in Week 3, Rhein in Week 5 and at Hamburg in Week 7).
Hamdan's season ends with him on 2,792 career passing yards - 208 short of 3,000 and 438 shy of the club record of 3,231 set by Will Furrer (1995-96).
Hamdan will be replaced by either JARED ALLEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or REGGIE ROBERTSON (Oakland Raiders).
Here is a look at how both men have performed this season:
Player Att Comp Yards TD Rating
J. Allen 17 12 119 2 104.8
R. Robertson 32 15 221 2 64.7
The Admirals will announce their new starting quarterback later this week.
Amsterdam lost Hamdan in Week 4 last season and Kurt Kittner stepped into the starting role and went on to win MVP honors in Yello Strom World Bowl XIII.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 4
Ball-Haw-k ties NFLEL record
IN helping the Frankfurt Galaxy to a 17-10 win over the Cologne Centurions, safety BRANDON HAW (Seattle Seahawks) wrote his name into the NFL Europe League record books.
Haw intercepted 3 passes for 43 yards, tying a league single-game record for picks held by nine other players - the most recent being Hamburg Sea Devils safety Shawn Mayer on May 14, 2005.
Haw earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts and said: "I just try to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes they throw it my way and sometimes they don't. I just try to make plays and it felt great to help the team out against Cologne."
Haw now jointly leads NFL Europe with those 3 interceptions, along with four other players.
Boyd could end 2006 campaign with contrasting league records
With three weeks of the 2006 regular season remaining, Cologne Centurions quarterback SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) could yet end the year with two league records - one desirable and the other very much unwanted.
Boyd has rushed for 269 yards on 37 carries this year and needs just 66 additional yards on the ground to break the single season rushing mark for a quarterback held by Jon Kitna, who rushed for 334 yards with the Barcelona Dragons in 1997.
That's the good news. Now for the not so good.
Boyd has thrown a league-high 11 interceptions this term and is closing in on the single-season record held by Mike Perez, who threw 17 picks for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 1991.
Praising Boyd's rushing skills, Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "Cologne has a very athletic quarterback in Shane Boyd and a guy like that who can run is very difficult to stop."
Speaking of the four interceptions Boyd threw during Sunday's loss to Frankfurt, Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN says: "Shane struggled to make some plays and sometimes when you press too hard they don't go your way. I know he understands that those things happen sometimes and he will play better next week."
NFLEL FACTS: Rare Feat
GIBRAN HAMDAN's 300-yard passing day for Amsterdam was the first in NFL Europe since the Rhein Fire's SCOTT McBRIEN threw for 325 yards in Week 3 of 2005, also against the Hamburg Sea Devils.
Bicknell aims to keep morale of winless Sea Devils high
VETERAN head coach JACK BICKNELL is determined to keep his Hamburg Sea Devils in a positive mood as they go in search of the victory that will ensure they do not become the second team in league history to go winless through an entire campaign.
With last week's loss to Amsterdam, the Sea Devils became just the second team in NFLEL history to go this far into the season without a victory. The other was the 1991 Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, who went 0-10 in the inaugural campaign.
Hamburg's remaining three games are at Berlin, at home to Rhein and away against the Admirals on the season's final day.
Bicknell, who has seen his team take fourth quarter leads in the past five games only to come out with four losses and a tie, says: "I have been saying the same thing to these kids all year: Stick together and don't point fingers because we are all in it together. It is hard to stay positive but the character in this team means they are not going to stop playing and trying. I have been coaching 46 years and never been through anything like this.
"But I have enjoyed being with these players. We have three challenges ahead and my job is to teach them what it is like to hang in there when things are not going well. My job is to make sure they stay focused. I am looking forward to the next three weeks."
Of Hamburg's six losses this season, four have been by one score or less (8 points).
It's good to receive in NFLEL
WIDE receivers will be pleased to know that the best way to win a football game in NFL Europe, it seems, is to get one of your players 100 receiving yards or more.
Receivers have topped that mark on 10 occasions this season and have found themselves on the winning sideline eight times.
Those figures compare favorably to 100-yard rushers, who have gone 4-3 this season.
The winning wide receivers have been Amsterdam's Seattle Seahawks allocate SKYLER FULTON (4 times) and CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers), Rhein's KENDRICK STARLING (Houston Texans) and CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers), and Frankfurt's AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings).
The unlucky men who found themselves on the losing sideline following outstanding individual displays were Fulton, who racked up 131 receiving yards in a Week 1 loss to Berlin and SCOTT McCREADY, who gained 139 yards during Hamburg's Week 6 loss at Cologne.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (6-1)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (28-28 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: 63-54
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 18-17 at Hamburg (4/29/06)
OFFENSE: 29.7 pts/game; 354.4 yds/game (rank 1); 86.4 yds rush/game (rank 6); 268 yds pass/game (rank 1)
Passing: Gibran Hamdan, 1,629 yds
Rushing: Larry Croom, 302 yds
Receiving: Skyler Fulton, 39 rec, 831 yds
DEFENSE: 24 pts/game; 324.1 yds/game (rank 4); 134.4 rush yds/game (rank 4); 189.7 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Claude Harriott, 4.0
Interceptions: Cory Peoples, 2
- THIS WEEK: vs COLOGNE CENTURIONS-
Head coach BART ANDRUS is looking for his players to show the same determination as in last week's narrow win in Hamburg. "I was very proud of our team. We had to put some guys into the fire and they came through. That could have been our sweetest win of the season."... QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe in passing yards, passing TDs, completion percentage (see table) and in passer rating. His current mark of 113.4 will be a new single-season NFLEL record if he is not overtaken as he will miss the remainder of the 2006 campaign after suffering a broken ankle. Became the first 300-yard passer of the season last week to earn his third Offensive Player of the Week award this season. Has compiled a 9-2 record as a starter for Amsterdam in past two seasons... QB JARED ALLEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has a 104.8 rating for the season... QB REGGIE ROBERTSON (Oakland Raiders) completed 4 of 11 passes for 57 yards with 1 interception last week... RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) leads the team in rushing yards (see table) but carried the ball a season-low 3 times last week... RB DIAMOND FERRI (Atlanta Falcons) rushed only 3 times for 3 yards last week, giving him 242 yards for the season, but added 42 yards on 2 receptions... WR CRAIG BRAGG (Chicago Bears) caught 3 passes for 37 yards last week and has 15 this season... WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe in receiving yards and receptions (see table) after posting a season-high in receptions last week. Has now tied the single-season NFLEL record of five 100-yard receiving games in a season and is on pace to set new season record for yardage (1,023, Sean LaChapelle, Scotland, 1996)... WR CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers) caught 6 passes for 73 yards last week, including his league-leading 8th TD catch of the season... WR VINCENT BUTLER (Green Bay Packers) caught 3
passes for 32 yards last week... French RB SANDINO OCTOBRE caught 3 passes for 22 yards last week and rushed 3 times for 6 yards... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA leads the league with a 31.8-yard average, but missed last week's game through injury... TE BEN HALL (Arizona Cardinals) caught 1 pass for 10 yards last week... DE EARL COCHRAN ranks second on the team with 3 sacks. Posted 6 tackles last week... DE CLAUDE HARRIOTT leads the team with 4 sacks... DT TONY BROWN (Carolina Panthers) had 5 tackles last week for 29 on the season... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK had 5 tackles last week and ranks third on team with 36... LB JEREMY CAIN (Chicago Bears) posted 5 tackles last week... LB DERRICK BALLARD (Atlanta Falcons) had his first interception of the season last week, posting 3 tackles and 2 pass defenses in the game... CB JUSTIN PERKINS (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 4 tackles last week... S ATARI BIGBY (Green Bay Packers) leads the team with 45 tackles after a team-high 8 last week... CB ABRAHAM ELIMIMIAN (Chicago Bears) had 4 tackles last week... S CORY PEOPLES (Philadelphia Eagles) ranks second on team with 38 tackles after 5 last week. Also recorded his team-high second interception... K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) won Special Teams Player of the Week honors after landing a 34-yard field goal with 0:12 remaining to win last week's game, his fourth successful FG of the game (28, 22, 45, 34) from 5 attempts. Leads NFLEL kickers with 56 points this season... P GLENN PAKULAK (Oakland Raiders) leads the league with a 41.5-yard mark.
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* 11* 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
TOTAL 71 302 2 8 57 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
TOTAL 39* 831* 6
* Leads NFLEL
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (2-4-1)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (18-8-1 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: 40-36-1
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 24-27 at Rhein (4/29/06)
OFFENSE: 20.8 pts/game; 284.1 yds/game (rank 5); 99.1 rush yds/game (rank 5); 185 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Lang Campbell, 1,052 yds
Rushing: Marty Johnson, 379 yds
Receiving: Rich Musinski, 17 rec, 208 yds
DEFENSE: 23.4 pts/game; 376.7 yds/game (rank 6); 136.6 rush yds/game (rank 6); 240.1 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Christian Mohr, 3.5
Interceptions: Anthony Floyd, 3
- THIS WEEK: vs HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
Head coach RICK LANTZ saw his team mount a second half comeback against the Rhein Fire last week, only to come out on the wrong end of a three-point scoreline. He says: "I thought we would get back into the game and we did by creating some turnovers and coming up with some big plays. I challenged our guys to get it done and we came pretty close."... QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) has started every game for Berlin (see table) and ranks third in NFLEL with a 86.8 passer rating. Posted a QB rating of 100+ for the second straight game last week (102.5). Has not thrown an interception in the last three games... QB B.J. SYMONS (Chicago Bears) has thrown for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns this term... QB BRIAN WROBEL (Green Bay Packers) completed 4 of 8 passes for 24 yards last week... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS returned from injury last week (see table). His 38-yard advance of a lateral allowed Berlin to tie the previous meeting with the Sea Devils in the final seconds of regulation... RB MARTY JOHNSON leads the Thunder in rushing yards (see table)... FB JONATHAN EVANS (San Diego Chargers) has 10 catches this season... WR RICH MUSINSKI (New England Patriots) caught 3 passes for 21 yards last week and has a team-high 17 receptions on the season for 208 yards and 3 scores... Mexican WR ALEJANDRO GAMEZ reeled in a 9-yard reception last week to give him 8 catches for 124 yards and 1 TD this season... TE JASON RANDALL (Atlanta Falcons) caught 2 passes for 19 yards last week and has 12 receptions in 2006... TE BEN MOA caught 3 passes for 33 yards last week and has 9 for 85 on the season. Scored on a 2-yard reception in first meeting with Hamburg this year... Finnish TE KLAUS ALINEN caught 1 pass for 18 yards last week and has 2 for 36 in 2006... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR leads the team with 3.5 sacks and has 24 tackles on the season after adding 3 stops and 1 sack last week... DE ELTON PATTERSON (Jacksonville Jaguars) recorded 1 sack last weekend, giving him 10 tackles, 3 sacks and 4 passes batted down this season... DE JEFF GREEN recorded 2 tackles and recovered a fumble against the Fire... English DT LORN MAYERS made his first professional start last weekend and recorded 1 tackle... DT JASON DAVIS (Houston Texans)
registered 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble last week. Has 17 stops and half a sack this season... LB JERMAINE TAYLOR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads the team with 44 tackles after adding 4 and 2 pass defenses to his total last week... LB ANDRE TORREY (Houston Texans) ranks second on Berlin's defense with 39 stops but missed last week's loss at Rhein through injury... LB KEVIN HARRISON recorded 4 tackles and 1 forced fumble in Düsseldorf and has 35 and 1 sack on the season... LB QUENTIN SWAIN has 37 tackles this year after adding 4 last week. Also set up two Berlin scores with fumble recoveries... CB ROBERT REDD (Atlanta Falcons) ranks second on the Thunder defense with 2 interceptions but saw most of his playing time at receiver last week, leading his club with 4 receptions for 46 yards... CB ANTWAUN ROGERS (Denver Broncos) knocked down 1 pass last week. Has 31 tackles and 4 passes defended this season... CB JAMES THORNTON (Cleveland Browns) recorded 3 tackles last week to give him 29 tackles for the year... S ANTHONY FLOYD (Houston Texans) leads the Thunder with 3 interceptions for 65 yards. Has also added 38 tackles, 7 passes defended and 1 forced fumble... German S OLIVER FLEMMING recorded a team-high 7 tackles last week and has 15 for the season... K XAVIER BEITIA (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has 38 points this season after making his only FG from 46 yards last week and adding 3 PATs... P BRIAN SIMNJANOWSKI (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) ranks fourth in the NFLEL with a 38.8-yard average
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
TOTAL 156 94 1,052 8 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
TOTAL 52 175 2 7 100 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
TOTAL 83 379 2 13 87 1
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-5)Head Coach: David Duggan (2-5 in NFLEL)Colours: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Milanovich (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 12-15
MEDIA CONTACT: Karsten Meier
Phone: 49-221-271-430
Fax: 49-221-271-43299
E-mail: Karsten.meier@cologne-centurions.de
Internet: www.cologne-centurions.de
LAST GAME: Lost 10-17 vs Frankfurt (4/30/06)
OFFENSE: 13.7 pts/game; 303.7 yds/game (rank 4); 139.3 rush yds/game (rank 2); 164.4 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Shane Boyd, 938 yds
Rushing: Fred Russell, 377 yds
Receiving: Jamall Broussard, 23 rec, 259 yds
DEFENSE: 18.4 pts/game; 304.1 yds/game (rank 3); 134.7 rush yds/game (rank 5); 169.4 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Bryan Save, 3.0
Interceptions: Three players, 2
- THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN will be pushing his players hard in the closing stages of the 2006 season, even though they are out of World Bowl contention. He says: "We have three games left and we are going to try to win all three. We can't look back, we have to look ahead and focus on our next opponent."... QB SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) has started the last four games (see table). In addition to passing totals, has rushed for 269 yards this season and is on pace to challenge the single season mark of 334 set by Barcelona's Jon Kitna in 1997... QB KLIFF KINGSBURY (New York Jets) completed 3 of 4 attempts for 18 yards last week. Started the opening three games of the season. Has thrown for 264 yards and 1 touchdown this term... RB FRED RUSSELL (St. Louis Rams) was held to a season low rushing total last week (see table). Leads Centurions in rushing yards and ranks fourth in NFLEL... WR JAMALL BROUSSARD (Cincinnati Bengals) leads the team in receptions and receiving yards but has yet to score a touchdown this term (see table). Was held to season lows in receptions and yards last week... WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE has 16 catches for 224 yards this season after adding 3 for 93 yards and scoring on an 80-yard reception last week... WR BRIAN BRATTON (Baltimore Ravens) caught 3 passes for 13 yards last week and has 17 for 178 and 2 TD this term... WR MICHAEL GASPERSON (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 2 passes for 11 yards last week and has 11 for 124 yards in 2006... Japanese WR MICHIHIRO OGAWA has 4 catches for 34 yards this season... German TE WERNER HIPPLER played in a league record 93rd game last week and has 92 career receptions for 946 yards and 3 touchdowns... TE TRENT SMITH (San Francisco 49ers) caught 5 passes for 41 yards last week. Has 15 receptions for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns this season... DE TYLER KING (Arizona Cardinals) recorded his second sack in as many games last week and added 2 tackles... DE DARRELL WRIGHT recorded 3 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week, giving him 10 stops and 3 passes batted down this year... DT BRYAN SAVE notched 2
sacks for 14 yards last week, giving him a team-high 3 on the season. Has also registered 23 tackles and 1 forced fumble in 2006... DT ARRION DIXON (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack last week for 25 tackles and 1 sack this season... DT EDDIE FREEMAN (Kansas City Chiefs) grabbed 5 tackles and 1 sack last week, taking total for 2006 to 18 and 1 sack... LB DAVID BERGERON (Carolina Panthers) posted 6 tackles last weekend, giving him 36 to rank second on the team this season... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT leads the Centurions and NFL Europe with 49 tackles after adding 9 stops last week. Also registered 1 sack last week and forced and recovered a fumble... CB LANCE FRAZIER (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 3 tackles last week and has 25 stops this season, along with 4 passes defended... CB MARK ESTELLE (Houston Texans) recorded 4 tackles last week. Has 13 tackles and a team-high 7 passes defended this season... S RAYMOND VENTRONE (New England Patriots) recorded 1 tackle and recovered a fumble last week and has totalled 29 tackles this season... S KEVIN CURTIS (Houston Texans) has 33 tackles this season after adding 4 stops and 1 pass defended last week... K NICK SETTA (Buffalo Bills) has 13 points this season having converted 4/5 FG and 3/4 PATs... P GABE LINDSTROM (Seattle Seahawks) ranks third in the NFLEL with a 40.5-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
TOTAL 154 81 938 4 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
TOTAL 107 377 3 14 111 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
TOTAL 23 259 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-2)Head Coach: Mike Jones (15-12) 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: 73-64
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 17-10 at Cologne (4/30/06)
OFFENSE: 18.6 pts/game; 337.8 yds/game (rank 2); 162 rush yds/game (rank 1); 175.8 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Craig Ochs, 686 yds
Rushing: Roger Robinson, 689 yds
Receiving: Aaron Hosack, 28 rec, 390 yds
DEFENSE: 16.6 pts/game; 277.8 yds/game (rank 2); 111.8 rush yds/game (rank 2); 166 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Matt Sinclair, Jerome Nichols, 3.0
Interceptions: Lenny Williams, Brandon Haw, 3
- THIS WEEK: vs RHEIN FIRE -
Head coach MIKE JONES saw his team win for the fourth game in a row last week, saying: "Cologne played a tough football game and they were ready for us. But we showed character and resilience to make some plays towards the end of the game and hang in there to win it."... QB CRAIG OCHS (Buffalo Bills) made his second start of the season last week and overcame 7 sacks to post a rating of 104.2 (see table). Has a QB rating of 98.1 for the season, which would place him second in NFLEL had he attempted 12 more passes to qualify... QB JEFF OTIS (Arizona Cardinals) started the opening five games of the season and has thrown for 480 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. Has passer rating of 84.3... RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) leads NFL Europe in rushing yards (see table). Was held under 100 rushing yards for only the second time this season... RB J.R. NIKLOS has rushed for 136 yards and 1 touchdown this season... Free agent RB BUTCHIE WALLACE made his third Galaxy appearance last week and rushed for 45 yards on 9 carries. Has 162 rushing yards on 41 carries... WR AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings) leads the Galaxy in receptions and receiving yards (see table) and ranks second in NFLEL in both categories. Caught 1 pass for 10 yards in first meeting with Rhein... WR ADAM HERZING (Pittsburgh Steelers) earned All-NFLEL honors with the Fire in 2004. Caught 3 passes for 32 yards and 1 TD last week and has 14 receptions for 220 yards on the season... WR WALTER YOUNG (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught a 10-yard pass last week and has 23 receptions for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns this year... TE KEITH WILLIS (Seattle Seahawks) has made 7 receptions for 132 yards this season... TE SEAN McHUGH (Detroit Lions) caught an 8-yard pass last week and has 7 for 47 and 1 score in 2006... German DE ULRICH WINKLER recorded 3 tackles and 1 sack last week and has 8 stops to his name this term... DE JOSH COOPER recorded 3 tackles and 1 sack against Cologne to take his season tally to 15 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 forced
fumble last week... DT JEROME NICHOLS (Green Bay Packers) jointly leads the Galaxy with 3 sacks among his 17 tackles... LB MATT SINCLAIR (Miami Dolphins) also has 3 sacks and ranks third on Frankfurt's defense with 34 tackles after adding 6 last week... LB JARED NEWBERRY (Tennessee Titans) posted a team-high 8 tackles last week and has 37 for the season. Also forced 2 fumbles last week... LB TRAVIS HARRIS leads the Galaxy with 39 tackles after adding 3 last week. Has also knocked down 2 passes and forced 1 fumble this season... CB LENNY WILLIAMS (Dallas Cowboys) recorded 5 tackles last week. Jointly leads the Galaxy with 3 interceptions... S BRANDON HAW tied an NFLEL single game record with 3 interceptions last week and added 2 additional pass defenses. Was named Defensive Player of the Week. Has 15 tackles and 1 forced fumble this season... S ROB LEE (Buffalo Bills) returned an interception 40 yards last week and added 5 tackles to take his season total to 24... K DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) ranks third among NFLEL kickers with 46 points (11/18 FG, 13/13 PAT).
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 18 176 0 0
Wk 7: at Col 14 7 123 1 0
TOTAL 86 54 686 4 1
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
TOTAL 137* 689* 4* 11 92 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
TOTAL 28 390 4
* Leads NFL Europe
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-6-1)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (66-70-1 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: 5-11-1
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: Lost 17-18 vs Amsterdam (4/29/06)
OFFENSE: 15.6 pts/game; 270.7 yds/game (rank 6); 103.6 rush yds/game (rank 4); 167.1 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Brock Berlin, 563 yds
Rushing: Mike Jemison, 368 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready, 24 rec, 309 yds
DEFENSE: 21.1 pts/game; 344.3 yds/game (rank 5); 120.7 rush yds/game (rank 3); 223.6 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Scott Scharff, 4.0
Interceptions: Rayshun Reed, 3
- THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER -
Head coach JACK BICKNELL saw his Sea Devils blow a fourth quarter lead for the fifth week in a row, but praised his team, which was without its leading receiver and running back through injury. "We play hard and have a great attitude. We just don't make the big plays when we have to. We have three big challenges ahead and my job is to teach these kids what it is like to hang in there when things are not going well."... QB BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins) started the first six games of the season but did not see action last week (see table) and has a QB rating of 50.0... QB JAMES KILIAN (Kansas City Chiefs) made his first NFLEL start last week, completing 8 of 17 passes for 71 yards with 2 interceptions. Has thrown for 3 TDS and 5 interceptions this season... QB TODD MORTENSEN (New England Patriots) completed 9 of 12 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown last week. Has a QB rating of 102.8 this season... RB MIKE JEMISON (Pittsburgh Steelers) leads the team in rushing (see table) but missed last week's game with a rib injury... RB DEJUAN GREEN (Oakland Raiders) gained 57 yards on 9 carries last week, including a 31-yard touchdown, and caught 2 passes for 23 yards... English WR SCOTT McCREADY leads the Sea Devils in receptions and receiving yards (see table) but missed last week's game with a shoulder injury. Ranks second all time in NFL Europe with 165 career receptions and 1,902 receiving yards... WR RICKY BRYANT caught 4 passes for 33 yards last week... WR RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) caught 1 pass for 5 yards last week and has 16 receptions this season... WR NATE CURRY (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 pass for 12 yards last week and has 11 receptions this season... TE KORI DICKERSON (Detroit Lions) caught 3 passes for 11 yards last weekend and has 15 receptions on the year... WR JOVAN WITHERSPOON (New York Jets) caught 2 passes for 23 yards and a TD last week... Swedish WR CRISTIAN MALM had 1 reception for 10
yards last week... English RB JERMAINE ALLEN gained 37 yards on 7 carries and caught 3 passes for 33 yards last week, earning National Player of the Week honors... DE SCOTT SCHARFF (San Francisco 49ers) had his team-leading fourth sack last week... DE IVORY McCOY had 3 tackles and his first sack of the year last week... DT KEYONTA MARSHALL (Philadelphia Eagles) posted his second sack last week... LB KRIS GRIFFIN (Kansas City Chiefs) ranks third on Hamburg's defense with 32 tackles after adding 2 last week... English LB ADEN DURDE has 18 tackles for the season... LB SCOTT GENORD ranks fourth on the defense with 23 tackles after adding 3 last week, Posted his second sack... LB RUSSELL RABE (New Orleans Saints) had 3 tackles and his second sack of the year last week... CB WILLIE AMOS (Chicago Bears) recorded 3 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week... CB RAYSHUN REED had a team-high 8 tackles last week for a season total of 27. Had a his second sack of the season... S SHAWN MAYER (Cleveland Browns) leads the Sea Devils with 38 tackles after adding 4 last week... S JASON SHIVERS (NY Giants) ranks second on the club with 35 tackles after making 5 last week... German S CLAUDIUS OSEI recorded 2 tackles last week and has 22 this season... K TYLER JONES (Washington Redskins) converted 1 of 3 FG attempts last week and has scored 31 points this season (6/8 FGs, 13/13 PAT)... P ADAM ANDERSON (Detroit Lions) ranks second in NFL Europe with a 40.8-yard average on a joint league-high 35 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
TOTAL 122 60 563 3 6
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
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
TOTAL 24 309 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (5-2)Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (5-2 in NFLEL)Colours: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Logan (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 63-54
MEDIA CONTACT: Markus Müller
Phone: 49-211-478-730
Fax: 49-211-478-7329
E-mail: markus.mueller@rhein-fire.de
Internet: www.rhein-fire.de
LAST GAME: Won 27-24 vs Berlin (4/22/06)
OFFENSE: 23.1 pts/game; 330.3 yds/game (rank 3); 124.7 rush yds/game (rank 3); 205.6 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Drew Henson, 1,153 yds
Rushing: Fredrick Jackson, 519 yds
Receiving: Chris Samp, 28 rec, 363 yds
DEFENSE: 18 pts/game; 254 yds/game (rank 1); 76.8 rush yds/game (rank 1); 177.1 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Derrick Strong, 4.0
Interceptions: Ronyell Whitaker, 3
- THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY -
Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA is insisting his team cleans up its act after committing 11 penalties for 110 yards last week, saying: "We made some critical errors with penalties and that will not be tolerated. We have got to clean that up and that is my job to fix it. The mistakes are all fixable."... QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys) has started all seven games this season (see table) and ranks second in NFL Europe with an 87.6 passer rating. Leads the league in pass attempts. Threw for a season-high yardage total last week... QB TIMMY CHANG (Philadelphia Eagles) compiled a passer rating of 109.7 in second quarter action last week, completing 4 of 6 passes for 141 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. For the season, has hit on 23 of 44 attempts for 325 yards and 2 scores... RB JACQUE LEWIS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) rushed for 33 yards on 8 carries last week and ranks second on the team with 288 yards. Caught 1 pass for 2 yards last week. Rushed for a team-high 56 yards in first meeting with Galaxy this season... RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills) leads the Fire in rushing (see table) and ranks second in the NFLEL. Gained 48 yards on 12 carries in last meeting with Frankfurt and added 4 receptions for 40 yards... French RB LAURENT MARCELINE has 8 receptions for 71 yards this season... WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) leads the team in receptions and yards (see table). His 5 TDs have all come in the last three games... WR ZURIEL SMITH (New England Patriots) has 3 touchdown receptions this season, including one against Berlin, but has missed the last three games because of a knee injury... WR KENDRICK STARLING (Houston Texans) returned from a two-game injury absence last week to catch 4 passes for 167 yards and 1 touchdown. Has 8 receptions for 238 yards and 2 TDs in 2006... WR STEVEN HARRIS (Washington Redskins) returned 2 kickoffs for 32 yards last week... English WR MARVIN ALLEN caught a 14-yard pass to set up a Fire TD last week. Faces his former team this weekend... TE AARON HALTERMAN (Houston Texans) caught 4 passes for 34 yards last week and has 23 for 245 on the season to rank second on the team. Caught 2 passes for 15 yards in
first meeting with Frankfurt... DE DERRICK STRONG leads the team with 4 sacks. Posted 4 tackles and 1 pass batted down last week... DE WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) had 3 tackles last week... ... DT BROOK MILLER (Atlanta Falcons) had his second sack in as many weeks last weekend and added 3 tackles against Berlin. Has now recorded 11 tackles and 2 sacks this season... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON is in his third season with the Rhein Fire and leads the team with 43 tackles after making a club-high 5 stops last week... LB GUY TUELL made 2 tackles last week and has 23 this term... German LB RICHARD ADJEI notched 4 tackles last week to take his season tally to 10... LB TYSON SMITH (New York Giants) registered 3 tackles against Berlin and has 19 this year... CB RONYELL WHITAKER (Minnesota Vikings) posted 3 tackles last week and has 24 on the season to rank second on the Fire defense. Leads the club with 3 interceptions for 41 yards and 1 touchdown... CB THERRIAN FONTENOT (Green Bay Packers) recorded 4 tackles and knocked down a pass last week. Has 2 interceptions this season... S MITCH MEEUWSEN (San Diego Chargers) posted 3 tackles and 1 sack last week... German S RICHARD YANCY will miss the remainder of the 2006 season with arm and shoulder injuries suffered in Week 6... S SIDDEEQ SHABAZZ (Miami Dolphins) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 21 this season... Swedish K OLA KIMRIN (Miami Dolphins) is in his fourth NFLEL season (Frankfurt 2001-02, Cologne 2004). Kicked a game-winning 28-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Fire to victory over Berlin. Ranks second among NFLEL kickers with 48 points (10/15 FG, 18/18 PAT). Needs to score 25 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 35 17 161 2 1
Wk 7: vs Ber 21 13 219 1 0
TOTAL 171 97 1,153 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
TOTAL 116 519 1 18 214 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
TOTAL 28 363 5
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 11
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-5)
at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (6-1)
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Saturday May 6, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Amsterdam leads 5-0
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 2-0
At Cologne: Amsterdam leads 3-0
Streak: Amsterdam 5
This Season: Amsterdam 20 at Cologne 15 (Week 2)
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/ NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 6).
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: LIVE/NASN (7:00 p.m. CET, May 6)
UK: DELAY/NASN (5:00 p.m. BST, Monday May 8)
Play-by-play announcer CHRIS CARLIN is joined in the broadcast booth by former Minnesota Vikings and Barcelona Dragons quarterback JAY WALKER.
COACHES
DAVID DUGGAN is in his first season as an NFLEL head coach and is still chasing back-to-back wins. Won two World Bowl rings as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder in 2001 and 2002... BART ANDRUS is the reigning NFL Europe League Coach of the Year. Has won 13 of his last 18 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. Served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans in 1999, the year the club went to the Super Bowl.
GAME NOTES
The Admirals head home needing a victory to ensure they match the club record with seven wins in a row. The last time Amsterdam won seven games in a row was in the opening seven weeks of the 1995 campaign... Amsterdam has scored a league-high 208 points this season. They are on pace to score 297 points this season and following an 18-point showing in Hamburg last week they have fallen off the pace to break the league single season scoring record of 310 set by the 1991 London Monarchs... Amsterdam's quarterbacks have combined to compile a passer rating of 105.3 this season... The Admirals boast the league's top-ranked attack, heading the rankings in yards per game (354.4), passing yards per game (268), yards per offensive play (6.5) and touchdowns scored (25)... Amsterdam has also produced more offensive plays covering 20+ yards than any other team in the league (33: 8 rush, 25 pass)... Cologne has yet to enjoy the sweet taste of victory against the Admirals having lost every regular season meeting between the teams in the five-game series... The Centurions have scored a league-low 96 points and 11 touchdowns this season... Amsterdam's quarterbacks have completed a league-high 61.1 percent of their passes this season while Cologne's defense has limited opposing passers to an NFLEL-low 47.0 percent completion percentage through the opening seven games of the year... Cologne boasts NFL Europe's second-ranked rushing attack, averaging 139.3 yards per game. The Centurions jointly lead NFL Europe with an average of 4.6 yards per rush... The Admirals have conceded a league-high 14 sacks this season while the Centurions defense ranks joint-second in NFL Europe with 12 QB takedowns... Cologne is one of three teams not to have scored on a return or recovery this season. Amsterdam has scored 3 touchdowns on returns or recoveries... Cologne's quarterbacks have combined to throw a league-high 13 interceptions this season. The most passes any team has had intercepted in any one season is 21 by the 1995 Rhein Fire... In the first meeting between the teams this year, QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) and WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) joined forces on a 65-yard touchdown pass that led Amsterdam to a 20-15 win.
RHEIN FIRE (5-2) at
FRANKFURT GALAXY (5-2)
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, Saturday May 6, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Rhein leads 14-9 (Teams tied 1-1 in World Bowls)
At Frankfurt: Rhein leads 6-5
At Rhein: Rhein leads 8-4
Streak: Rhein 1
This Season: Frankfurt 6 at Rhein 10 (Week 1)
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday May 6)
UK: DELAY/NASN (1:00 p.m. BST, Thursday May 11)
The regular FOX NFL Sunday team of CURT MENEFEE and former Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman BRIAN BALDINGER joins forces to call the action from Frankfurt
COACHES
JIM TOMSULA has a 1-0 record in Deutschland Derby games against the Frankfurt Galaxy and a 5-2 record overall in his first season as an NFLEL head coach. Won a World Bowl ring as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder in 2004... MIKE JONES is in his third season with the Galaxy and has a 15-12 record and one World Bowl appearance to his name. 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. Has a 4-1 regular season record against the Fire.
GAME NOTES
The oldest German rivals in the NFL Europe League meet in a game with huge World Bowl implications on Saturday evening... The Galaxy has had the best of the recent encounters. Prior to Rhein winning in Week 1, the Galaxy had won six meetings in a row, including World Bowl XI in June, 2003... Frankfurt takes a four-game winning streak into the showdown while Rhein ended its losing run at two with victory over Berlin last weekend... The Fire has only lost to the league-leading Amsterdam Admirals this season... Frankfurt takes the league's leading rushing attack into the game (162 yards per game at an average of 4.6 yards per carry)... Rhein boasts the league's toughest run defense, allowing just 76.9 yards per game on the ground... Prior to last weekend, the Galaxy offensive line had given up a league-low 5 sacks. Then they allowed Cologne to record 8 sacks in one game, meaning they have given up 13 on the year - the third-highest total in NFL Europe... The Fire defense ranks sixth in NFLE Europe with 10 sacks but first overall in yards conceded (254 per game)... Frankfurt leads the league in fewest points allowed (116) and touchdowns conceded (14)... Rhein leads NFL Europe in average time of possession (32:41 per game) while the Galaxy ranks second in that department (32:25)... Frankfurt quarterbacks have thrown a league-low 3 interceptions this season. The Galaxy has committed a league-low 9 turnovers this term... The Fire leads NFL Europe with 19 takeaways (9 interceptions, 10 fumbles)... Frankfurt ranks second in NFL Europe with offensive plays covering 20+ yards with 28 (8 rush, 20 pass), while Rhein rates third with 22 plays (2 rush, 20 pass)... Each of Frankfurt's four successive victories has come by a margin of one score or less (8 points)... Rhein's 12 touchdowns on passing plays rank second in NFLEL... Frankfurt ranks second in NFLEL with an average of 5.3 yards per offensive play... In the first meeting between the teams this season WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Mexican WR JUAN WONG as the Fire ran out 10-6 winners. The Galaxy was restricted to a pair of DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) field goals as ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) rushed for 103 yards but lost 2 of his 3 fumbles.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK SEVEN RECAP NFL Europe 2006, Week 8 - Page 12
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-6-1)
at BERLIN THUNDER (2-4-1)
Olympiastadion, Berlin, Sunday May 7, 4 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Berlin leads 2-0-1
At Berlin: Berlin leads 1-0
At Hamburg: Berlin leads 1-0-1
Streak: 1 tie
This season: Berlin 17 at Hamburg 17 OT (Week 3)
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/DirecTV (10:00 a.m. ET, Sunday May 7) DELAY/NFL Network, 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday May 7)
Play-by-play announcer ARI WOLFE is joined in the broadcast booth by former Buffalo Bills wide receiver ANDRE REED.
COACHES
JACK BICKNELL is in his 14th season in NFL Europe and has yet to add to his league-leading regular season victory total of 66 this year. Has slipped below .500 by losing his 70th regular season contest last week. Has one World Bowl ring in his collection having led Barcelona to glory in 1997.... RICK LANTZ has lost two games in a row for the first time in his NFLEL head coaching career. Won a World Bowl ring in 2004 and guided the Thunder to the title game last season.
GAME NOTES
Both teams will be playing for pride as they are already out of World Bowl contention... Teams played to only the second tie in league history when they met in Week 3... Hamburg takes the league's sixth-ranked offense into the contest against Berlin's sixth-ranked defense... Berlin ranks fifth on offense while Hamburg ranks fifth on defense... Hamburg has struggled to produce big plays this term. They rank sixth in NFLEL in offensive plays covering 20+ yards (16: 4 rush, 12 pass)... Hamburg has led in the fourth quarter in each of their last five games and seen those leads turn into a tie and four losses... Hamburg quarterbacks have completed a league-low 51.5 percent of their passes this season, even though the Sea Devils offensive line has conceded an NFLEL-low 7 sacks in seven games... Berlin's defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete an NFLEL-high 59.6 percent of their passes... Hamburg has been the NFL Europe League's least productive club on third down this season with the Sea Devils converting 35.9 percent of their opportunities... Berlin has been the least successful on fourth down, converting 30 percent of a league-high 10 attempts... Berlin is one of only three teams with a positive turnover ratio at +1 (12 takeaways to 11 giveaways)... Berlin is averaging a league-low 3.6 yards per rush this season...Hamburg is allowing just 3.9 yards per rush to rank second in NFL Europe... Berlin's defense has intercepted a league-low 6 passes this season... Hamburg quarterbacks have thrown 12 interceptions - the second-highest figure in the league this year... The Thunder has converted 77.8 percent of its field goal attempts this term to rank second in the league... In the first meeting this season, the clubs played to the first tie in NFL Europe since the old World League days when the Birmingham Fire and London Monarchs played to a 17-17 stalemate at London's Wembley Stadium... Hamburg jumped out to a 17-0 lead as QB JAMES KILIAN (Kansas City Chiefs) threw touchdown passes to WR RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) and TE WESLEY DUKE (Denver Broncos). Berlin replied with a 2-yard TD pass from QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) to TE BEN MOA and on a 1-yard run by QB B.J. SYMONS (Chicago Bears). A 27-yard field goal by K XAVIER BEITIA (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) with 2 seconds remaining sent the game into OT.
- WEEK SEVEN RECAP -
Amsterdam Admirals 18, Hamburg Sea Devils 17
(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 15,224)
Gibran Hamdan (Ams) 322 passing yards, 1 TD
Skyler Fulton (Ams) 10 receptions, 166 yards
Ryan Killeen (Ams) 4 FG, including game-winner
Rayshun Reed (Ham) 8 tackles, 1 sack
Berlin Thunder 24, Rhein Fire 27
(LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Attendance: 20,598)
Drew Henson (Rhe) 219 passing yards, 1 TD
Lang Campbell (Ber) 175 passing yards, 2 TD
Kendrick Starling (Rhe) 4 catches, 167 yards, 1 TD
Chris Samp (Rhe) 5 catches, 100 yards, 2 TD
Frankfurt Galaxy 17, Cologne Centurions 10
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 11,800)
Aaron Hosack (Fra) 4 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
Reggie Newhouse (Col) 3 catches, 93 yards, 1 TD
Brandon Haw (Fra) 3 interceptions for 43 yards
Bryan Save (Col) 4 tackles, 2 sacks
• Discuss this story on the National Football League Europa message board...
National Football League Europa Stories from May 2, 2006
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- Admirals within touching distance of World Bowl - NFLE
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