Leaders take on clubs one game back in standings

Published on April 12, 2005 under National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release

THE teams topping the NFL Europe League standings after two weeks of the 2005 campaign will have the chance to create some early-season breathing space as they face the two clubs closest to them in the rankings in Week 3.

The Cologne Centurions (2-0) kick off Saturday night's action by playing host to a Frankfurt Galaxy (1-1) team buoyed by last week's come-from-behind defeat of Amsterdam.

An hour later, the Berlin Thunder (2-0) will go looking for their seventh regular season victory in a row when they go on the road for the first time in 2005 to take on the Amsterdam Admirals (1-1).

The final contest of Week 3 sees the Hamburg Sea Devils (0-2) make history by playing their first game at the AOL Arena against a Rhein Fire (0-2) smarting from back-to-back losses to open their campaign.

The race to Yello Strom World Bowl XIII has only just begun but Week 3 could reveal a lot more about the runners and riders racing for glory in June.

The action gets underway in Cologne, Germany, as the hometown Centurions look to maintain their winning start to the 2005 campaign.

Head coach PETER VAAS says: "It was good to win against Rhein but it was far from easy. It was a heck of a battle. We didn't turn the ball over and we took it from them twice and that was very important."

Facing the Centurions is a Galaxy side that overturned a two-touchdown deficit to see off Amsterdam in Week 2.

Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "Our guys played their hearts out and it showed a lot about the character of this team. They fought back and fought hard."

The defending World Bowl champion Berlin Thunder may have won 12 of their last 13 regular season contests dating back to Week 10 of the 2003 campaign, but they will be out to play a much cleaner game in Amsterdam having been flagged 17 times (one short of the record set by Frankfurt at Scotland on April 13, 2003) against Hamburg.

Head coach RICK LANTZ says: "I was very concerned by the number of penalties we had and many of them came in critical situations. That's upsetting – there was a loss of poise on our part.

"But we hung in there and found a way to win. It was a game where we got to see how we handled adversity and we did a pretty decent job."

Hosting the Thunder is an Admirals team that let a 14-0 lead slip during last weekend's loss to the Galaxy.

Head coach BART ANDRUS says: "We played well in the first quarter but the second half was terrible. It was a great example of a team beating itself. I think our guys got a little over-confident. There is a fine line between playing with confidence and still having humility. They crossed the line."

Saturday evening also sees the Hamburg Sea Devils make their home debut at the AOL Arena, where they will hope to put the disappointment of two losses by a combined three points behind them.

Head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "We didn't make some plays in a close game last week and the team that makes them in tight contests usually wins. There is no question we have the effort and desire. This is a hard-working group of kids and you won't hear me complaining about this team."

The Rhein Fire will be keen to get their season back on an even keel, starting with this weekend's contest in Hamburg.

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK expects vast improvement and says: "We started 1-3 in 1999 and won something like five of the last six and I felt we were the best team in the league. If we work on our mistakes, we'll be up there with everyone else."

WEEK THREE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY APRIL 16

Frankfurt Galaxy at Cologne Centurions

RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, 6:00 p.m.

Berlin Thunder at Amsterdam Admirals

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

Rhein Fire at Hamburg Sea Devils

AOL Arena, Hamburg, 7:00 p.m.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 2

OFFENSIVE · AHMAAD GALLOWAY · RB, Frankfurt

161 rushing yards, 1 TD; 1 reception for 8 yards

DEFENSIVE · MICHAEL BROWN· LB, Berlin

3 tackles, 2 sacks for 18 yards

SPECIAL TEAMS · BRIAN SIMNJANOVSKI · P, Berlin

4 punts for 41.3 average, 3 in 20, long of 45 yards

NATIONAL · SCOTT McCREADY · WR, Hamburg

8 receptions for 88 yards; Becomes leading national receiver in NFL Europe League history

Sea Devils to make home debut at Hamburg's AOL Arena

AFTER two hard-fought losses on the road, the Hamburg Sea Devils will make their home debut at the AOL Arena on Saturday night against Rhein.

And Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL can't wait to get started in front of his team's own fans and feels Hamburg can kick-start their season against the winless Fire in a passionate sports city.

After seeing his Sea Devils lose 24-23 in Cologne and 15-13 in Berlin, Bicknell says: "It's great to be going home. We need to get our season started this week and I'm looking forward to our first game in our new stadium.

"We have been on the road two weeks in a row and we need to get home and get our fans behind us. We want to start our own winning streak, beginning at home to the Rhein Fire next week."

As the new home of the Hamburg Sea Devils, the AOL arena becomes the 21st venue to host an NFL Europe League game.

The state-of-the-art stadium – which opened in 2000 - has served as home of the Hamburger SV soccer club and staged concerts featuring The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. As well as seating for 55,000 fans, the venue includes 50 luxury boxes and 2,100 business seats.

Sea Devils General Manager Kathrin Platz says: "We can't wait for our first home game. And we are sure we will leave the two tough losses behind and come out of our first ever home game with a win against the Rhein Fire. The fans in Hamburg are great and they have left a great impression on the team and me."

Despite being on the wrong end of the opening two games of the season, Bicknell remains positive about his Sea Devils team and is confident they can turn their fortunes around.

He says: "We're still in the hunt. It's my job to make sure nothing negative influences our players but that has not happened. Everything is positive.

"We're continuing to work and get better. My players give a total effort. I wish we had done better in some areas but we lost two games on the road by just three points."

NFLEL FACTS: Home opener

Hamburg will be hoping to make a good impression in their home opener. Of the three previous single expansion teams, all have lost their first game at home by at least 10 points. Ohio lost 17-6 to Sacramento in 1992, Berlin were beaten 48-14 by Scotland in 1999 and Cologne lost 20-10 to Frankfurt in 2004.

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 3

100-yard rusher usually means a victory in NFL Europe League

WHEN AHMAAD GALLOWAY rushed for 161 yards while leading the Frankfurt Galaxy to victory in Week 2, it confirmed the long-held theory in the NFL Europe League – running the football continues to be the safest route to victory.

Following Galloway's heroics against the Amsterdam Admirals, the combined record of teams with 100-yard rushers rose to 69-20 since 1995 – a winning percentage of .775.

By contrast, teams with 300-yard passers have a losing record of 16-22 (.421) during the same time period.

That could explain a recent offensive trend in NFL Europe. Over the past four seasons (2001-2004) there have been just eight 300-yard passing days by NFLEL quarterbacks. During that same period, running backs have topped the 100-yard mark on 41 occasions.

Combined records of NFLEL teams when they have:

100-yard 100-yard 300-yard

rusher receiver passer

2005 1-0 1-0 0-0

2004 6-1 7-4 1-2

2003 7-5 4-3 2-1

2002 11-2 5-5 0-1

2001 7-0 7-7 0-1

2000 3-3 10-10 3-1

1999 11-1 8-12 2-2

1998 4-3 7-4 1-2

1997 5-2 9-5 2-1

1996 6-0 10-10 3-7

1995 8-3 7-9 2-4

Total since 69-20 75-69 16-22

1995 (.775) (.520) (.421)

While running the ball effectively during the regular season bodes well for NFLEL clubs, it does not necessarily equate to World Bowl success in June.

Far from it, in fact, as only two teams have won World Bowl after leading the league in rushing yards (Scottish Claymores in 1996 and Rhein Fire in 1998).

Last year's champion, the Berlin Thunder, ranked second in rushing yards but did top the league in passing yards.

Flags fly on busy weekend for NFLEL officiating crews

IT was the kind of weekend that leaves head coaches tearing their hair out in frustration and officiating crews with well-worn flags as the six NFLEL teams were penalized 77 times in the three Week 2 games.

Leading the way – and setting an unwanted record – was the Berlin Thunder and Hamburg Sea Devils, who combined for an all-time high 31 penalties, breaking the record of 27 set by the Frankfurt Galaxy and Scottish Claymores on April 13, 2003.

Berlin was flagged 17 times – one short of the record 18 set by Frankfurt in Scotland in 2003 – while Hamburg was called for 14 penalties.

Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ says: "I thought it was a well-officiated game and I wouldn't dispute the number of penalties called. We had too many penalties and that was upsetting."

There were 23 penalties in Sunday's Rhein Fire-Cologne Centurions contest, with the hometown Fire being flagged 15 times to Cologne's 8.

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "Penalties killed us. We can't have that. We were overcoming those penalties late in the third quarter but it caught up with us in the end."

Also concerned about his team's penalty situation was Centurions head coach PETER VAAS, who adds: "A bit of it might be down to inexperience. These guys have not played much and some have not played for a while so that can mean sloppy play. It is early in the year."

Saturday's meeting between the Amsterdam Admirals (11) and Frankfurt Galaxy (12) also saw 23 flags thrown.

After seeing his team give up a 14-0 lead en route to a 23-14 loss, Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS said: "There were a lot of penalties and it seemed like ours came at crucial times. I am very concerned about the number of them."

The 77 penalties called this weekend cost the six NFLEL teams a total of 590 yards.

NFLEL FACTS: New territory

Following Hamburg's 15-13 loss in Berlin, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL saw his all-time regular season winning percentage drop to .500 (61-61) for the first time in his career. Bicknell opened his career by guiding the Barcelona Dragons to a 4-0 start and an 8-2 record in 1991 and had never dropped to .500 or lower in 13 seasons until last weekend.

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 4

McCready grabs national record; Climbs all-time charts

SCOTT McCREADY, of the Hamburg Sea Devils, caught 8 passes for 88 yards last week to become the leading national receiver in NFL Europe League history.

McCready – the only Brit to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 2001 New England Patriots – raised his career figures to 114 catches for 1,231 yards and 6 scores. He broke the records for receptions (107) and receiving yards (1,157) set by former Scottish Claymores wide receiver SCOTT COUPER (1995-2001, 2003-2004).

McCready played for the Claymores from 2002-2004 before joining the Sea Devils for the 2005 campaign.

He says: "It's cool to break those records. I wasn't really aware of them during the game. I didn't set a target to get to them or anything. I was saying the whole time that if I concentrated on that stuff, I wouldn't be focusing on the things I need to in order to be ready for the next game."

Couper called NFL Europe's league headquarters on Monday morning to pass a message to McCready, saying: "I would like to congratulate Scott for breaking my records. He did it a great deal quicker than me – it took me nine years – and that shows his quality.

"He has NFL pedigree and has really made that slot position his own in Hamburg's offense. He has established himself as one of the best receivers in NFL Europe and I wish him all the best for the future.

"Records are there to be broken and I am happy for Scott. I will just try to hang on to my touchdowns (12) record for a while, although I think Scott will get that one as well in the future."

McCready needs 12 receptions to tie former London Monarchs running back Judd Garrett and move into the top three of all-time on the NFLEL receiving charts. Former Barcelona Dragons tight end Demetrius Davis stands 37 catches ahead of McCready in second place on the all-time rankings, while Frankfurt Galaxy fan favourite Mario Bailey is out in front having recorded 252 career receptions from 1995-2000.

All-time receptions leaders in NFLEL history

Player/Team Receptions

Mario Bailey (Frank 95-00) 252

Demetrius Davis (Bar 91-92, 95-96) 151

Judd Garrett (Lon 91-92) 126

Michael Titley (Orl 92, Lon 95-97) 124

Scott McCready (Sco 02-04, Ham 05) 114

Jason Shelley (Fra/Ams 97-00) 114

Yo Murphy (Sco 96-97, 99) 113

Returning vets proving worth

A HOST of returning NFL Europe League veterans made big plays for their respective teams in Week 2 action.

Leading the way was Offensive Player of the Week AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers), who carried 31 times for 161 yards and a touchdown during the Frankfurt Galaxy's 23-14 defeat of the Amsterdam Admirals.

Also making contributions for the Galaxy were safety RAYMOND PERRYMAN (Jacksonville Jaguars) and linebacker KEVIN DERONDE (Dallas Cowboys), who registered 4 and 3 tackles respectively. Perryman played for Amsterdam in 2002, while DeRonde was a Barcelona Dragon in 2003 and a member of the Berlin Thunder in 2004.

A pair of returning veterans were influential in the Cologne Centurions' 23-10 win over the Rhein Fire. Quarterback KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo Bills) scored on 2 touchdown runs, while league-leading wide receiver CARL MORRIS (San Diego Chargers) caught 7 passes for 81 yards. Morris was with the Centurions in 2004, while Thompson last played in NFL Europe with the Galaxy in 2001.

Thompson says: "It feels great to be 2-0 and I think our running game is coming along now so we feel pretty good about ourselves."

All three of the Berlin Thunder's takeaways during their 15-13 victory over the Hamburg Sea Devils came courtesy of returning veterans.

Cornerback WILLIE FORD (Indianapolis Colts/Berlin 2004) intercepted a Ryan Dinwiddie pass in his own end zone to end the first half, linebacker JAMAL BROOKS (Cleveland Browns/Scotland 2001) forced a second half fumble that was recovered by team mate Michael Harden and cornerback JERMAINE MAYS (Indianapolis Colts/Berlin 2004) came up with a game-winning pick at his own 30-yard line with 54 seconds remaining.

Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ says: "We have seven guys on our roster who played with us last year and Jamal Brooks played under (defensive coordinator) Jim Tomsula in Scotland in 2001.

"Those veteran guys who know how we do things around here can head off things that would irritate me and make me blow my top. I'm not talking about on the football field, but with regard to the way we act on the road, in hotels and how tidy we leave our locker room after a game. They can make sure the other players take responsibility for their actions.

"On the field, our returning veterans are doing a heck of a job. We drafted some of them and protected others because we wanted them back with us. We knew more about them than some of the other players in the allocation and free agent pools."

NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 5

History favours 2-0 teams in race for World Bowl berths

THERE is a lot of football to be played before the teams competing for championship glory in Yello Strom World Bowl XIII will be known, but history suggests a quick start to the season can be very beneficial.

Since 1995, 16 teams have made 2-0 starts to a season. Those clubs have advanced to World Bowl 11 times, winning on five occasions.

During that same period, 16 teams have started the year 0-2 and only one club – the 2002 Berlin Thunder – has reached World Bowl.

Those off to 2-0 starts in 2005 are the Berlin Thunder and Cologne Centurions, while the Hamburg Sea Devils and Rhein Fire are winless after two weeks of the new season.

Despite the lack of 0-2 clubs going on to reach World Bowl in the past decade, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "Somebody will come up with a statistic to say you can't win World Bowl after starting 0-2. There's always statistics like that out there, but we're still in the hunt. You can't go 0-6 and win World Bowl but we're still very much in the race, despite being 0-2.

"I'm frustrated that we are 0-2 but there's nothing we can do about that now and we have to move forward and get better and we're continuing to work towards that. I like our effort. I like the way our players approach things and how they practice."

Records of teams that started 2-0 (1995-2004)

Year Team Final Record

2004 Berlin Thunder 9-1 (Won World Bowl)

2004 Frankfurt Galaxy 7-3 (Lost World Bowl)

2004 Rhein Fire 3-7

2003 Frankfurt Galaxy 6-4 (Won World Bowl)

2002 Amsterdam Admirals 4-6

2001 Barcelona Dragons 8-2 (Lost World Bowl)

2000 Scottish Claymores 6-4 (Lost World Bowl)

1999 Barcelona Dragons 7-3 (Lost World Bowl)

1999 Scottish Claymores 4-6

1998 Rhein Fire 7-3 (Won World Bowl)

1998 Barcelona Dragons 4-6

1997 Barcelona Dragons 5-5 (Won World Bowl)

1996 Scottish Claymores 7-3 (Won World Bowl)

1996 Frankfurt Galaxy 6-4 (Lost World Bowl)

1995 Amsterdam Admirals 9-1 (Lost World Bowl)

Records of teams that started 0-2 (1995-2003)

Year Team Final Record

2003 Berlin Thunder 3-7

2002 Berlin Thunder 6-4 (Won World Bowl)

2002 Barcelona Dragons 2-8

2001 Frankfurt Galaxy 3-7

2000 Barcelona Dragons 5-5

1999 Rhein Fire 6-4

1999 Berlin Thunder 3-7

1998 England Monarchs 3-7

1998 Scottish Claymores 2-8

1997 Amsterdam Admirals 5-5

1996 London Monarchs 4-6

1996 Rhein Fire 3-7

1995 Scottish Claymores 2-8

Being first to find end zone a key to success in 2005 season

THE 2005 NFL Europe League season may only be two weeks old, but a key statistical trend has formed in the opening six games.

The team that scores the opening touchdown has won five of six games this season.

In Week 1, Berlin, Cologne and Amsterdam all scored the first touchdowns of their respective contests and all ended up winning on opening night.

In Week 2, only the Amsterdam Admirals scored the first touchdown and lost as they failed to capitalize on a 12-yard scoring pass from GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) to wide receiver RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers). The Admirals opened a 14-0 lead before Frankfurt fought back to win 23-14.

NFLEL FACTS: Home advantage

Of the six NFL Europe League games played this season, five have been won by the home teams. Amsterdam, Berlin and Cologne were successful on home soil in Week 1, while Berlin and Frankfurt came out on top in front of their own fans in Week 2. Only the Cologne Centurions – against the Rhein Fire last weekend – have won on the road this season.

NFLEL FACTS: TD Breakdown

A total of 22 touchdowns have been scored this season- 13 through the air, 8 rushing and 1 on an interception return. At this stage last season, 29 TDs had been scored.

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 6

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (18-24 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (2nd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Darryl Sims (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 52-50

MEDIA CONTACT: Perry Hendriks

Phone: 31-20-465-0550

Fax: 31-20-465-0555

E-mail: hendriksp@admirals.nl

Internet: www.admirals.nl

LAST GAME: Lost 14-23 at Frankfurt (4/9/05)

OFFENSE: 19 pts/game; 318 yds/game (rank 2); 197 yds rush/game (rank 1); 121 yds pass/game (rank 2)

Passing: Gibran Hamdan, 358 yds

Rushing: Jarrett Payton, 119 yds

Receiving: Ruvell Martin 7 rec, Tony Donald 90 yds

DEFENSE: 18.5 pts/game; 279 yds/game (rank 4); 134.5 rush yds/game (rank 4);144.5 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Sacks: Earl Cochran, Josh Mallard, 1.0

Interceptions: B.J. Tucker, Greg Carothers, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs BERLIN THUNDER ·

Head coach BART ANDRUS is looking for his team to bounce back from blowing a 14-0 first quarter lead in Frankfurt last week "We played well in the first quarter but the second half was terrible. We made a lot of mistakes and it was a great example of a team beating itself. I think our guys got a little over-confident. There is a fine line between playing with confidence and still having humility. They crossed the line."... QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) has started both games this year and is yet to throw an interception (see table). In two games against Berlin in 2004 he completed 4 of 9 passes for 58 yards with 0 TDs and 0 interceptions ... QB KURT KITTNER (Chicago Bears) completed 2 of 5 passes for 15 yards with 1 interception last week... RB JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs) was held to 12 yards on 7 carries last week after starting the season with a league-high 99 yards in Week 1... RB JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) leads the team in rushing and scored his first TD of the season last week (see table)... WR RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers) has scored a touchdown in both games this season (see table)... WR JOHN BOOTH (Kansas City Chiefs) is second on the team in receiving yards after gaining 24 yards on his only reception last week... WR ATAVEUS CASH (New York Giants) has only 1 catch in each game this season, but added 15 yards rushing on a reverse last week... TE TONY DONALD (Seattle Seahawks) was held to 1 catch for 12 yards last week but leads the team with 90 receiving yards through the first two games. Caught 6 passes for 78 yards and 1 TD in two games against the Thunder last year... TE MIKE GOMEZ (Buffalo Bills) led the team with 4 catches for 55 yards last week... French RB SANDINO OCTOBRE caught 2 passes for 31 yards last week... DE JOSH MALLARD (Indianapolis Colts) posted 3 tackles last week... DT JEREMY CAUDILL had 3 tackles last week... LB GREG CAROTHERS recorded 4 tackles in Week 2... LB PHIL ARCHER registered 4 tackles on defense last week... LB DERRICK BALLARD (Chicago Bears) had 3 tackles last week... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÖRK recorded 6

tackles last week for a total of 9 in his first two NFLEL games... CB JEFF SANCHEZ (Detroit Lions) had 3 stops last week... CB B.J. TUCKER (Seattle Seahawks) posted 3 tackles in Week 2 ... S SCOTT CONNOT (Kansas City Chiefs) had 8 tackles last week for 13 on the season... S RON ISRAEL (Pittsburgh Steelers) posted 12 tackles last week and leads the team with 17 this season... S NORMAN LEJEUNE (Tennessee Titans) made 5 tackles last week... K CHRIS SNYDER (Houston Texans) has 8 points this season after making 2 of 2 PATs last week... P RYAN DUTTON (Seattle Seahawks) punted 5 times for a 42.4-yard average last week.

QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Rhein 19 12 187 2 0

Wk 2: at Frank 25 12 171 1 0

TOTAL 44 24 358 3* 0

RB JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Rhein 8 52 0 2 24 0

Wk 2: at Frank 6 67 1 2 24 0

TOTAL 14 119 1 4 48 0

WR RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Rhein 5 46 1

Wk 2: at Frank 2 32 1

TOTAL 7 78 2

* Leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 7

BERLIN THUNDER (2-0)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (11-1 in NFLEL, plus 1-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, green and gold

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (2nd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jim Tomsula (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 33-29

MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak

Phone: 49-30-300-644-00

Fax: 49-30-300-644-77

E-mail: maik.matischak@berlin-thunder.de

Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de

LAST GAME: Won 15-13 vs Hamburg (4/10/05)

OFFENSE: 22.5 pts/game; 350.5 yds/game (rank 1); 165.5 rush yds/game (rank 1); 185 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Passing: Dave Ragone, 347 yds

Rushing: Cal Murray, 133 yds

Receiving: Terrence Stubbs, 8 rec, Michael Jennings, 98 yds

DEFENSE: 10 pts/game; 164.5 yds/game (rank 1); 52.5 rush yds/game (rank 1); 112 pass yds/game (rank 1)

Sacks: Michael Brown, 2.0

Interceptions: Willie Ford, Jermaine Mays, Rich Scanlon, 1

· THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·

RICK LANTZ takes his unbeaten Thunder team on the road for the first time in 2005 as they head to the Netherlands. He says: "Last week was an important win for us because we didn't have it easy."... QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) completed 17 of 28 attempts for 168 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception last week. Ranks third in NFLEL in passing yardage (see table) and second with a passer rating of 89.3. Looking ahead to Berlin's opening road game of 2005, Ragone says: "It's awesome to have two wins to start the season but now we get to see how we handle things on the road. We get to see what we're made of and this is a big week for us."... QB BRET ENGEMANN (Oakland Raiders) completed his only 2 pass attempts for 18 yards last week... RB CAL MURRAY (San Diego Chargers) ranks second in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table). Scored first touchdown of 2005 on a 5-yard reception last week... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS (New York Jets) carried 12 times for 50 yards last week. Ranks third in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table)... WR MICHAEL JENNINGS (New York Giants) caught 3 passes for 24 yards last week and added 4 kickoff returns for 89 yards with a long of 35. Has 7 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown this season... WR AARON BOONE (Carolina Panthers) caught a 30-yard pass last week and has 3 receptions for 54 yards this year... WR TERRENCE STUBBS (New York Jets) led the Thunder with 6 receptions for 66 yards last week and has a team-high 8 receptions on the season... Mexican WR HUGO LIRA has 1 catch for 6 yards and a 29-yard kickoff return this season... TE BEN MOA (Miami Dolphins) caught 5 passes for 43 yards last week with a long of 15 yards. Ranks second on the club with 7 receptions this season... TE JOHN FRIESER (Pittsburgh Steelers) has 2 catches for 29 yards in 2005 after adding a 4-yard catch last week... Finnish TE KLAUS ALINEN has made 2 catches for 5 yards this season... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 2 tackles and his first sack of the season last week... DE DARRELL LEE recorded 6 tackles and knocked down a pass in Week 2 defeat of Hamburg... DE GREG

TAPLIN recorded 2 tackles and 1 sack last week, taking his season totals to 3 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble... DE DEANGELO LLOYD knocked down 1 pass last week... DT CHARLES HILL (Carolina Panthers) registered 2 tackles, including 1 for a two-point safety... DT REGGIE RHODES ranks fourth on the team with 7 tackles after registering 6 stops in Week 2... LB RICH SCANLON (Kansas City Chiefs) leads Berlin with 13 tackles after adding a team-high 9 last week... LB JAMAL BROOKS (Cleveland Browns) recorded 5 tackles and forced a fumble last week... LB MICHAEL BROWN (Atlanta Falcons) was named Defensive Player of Week 2 after recording 3 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 special teams stop against Hamburg... LB WINSTON TAYLOR (Miami Dolphins) recorded 4 tackles and 1 special teams stop last weekend... CB MICHAEL HARDEN (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 2 tackles and recovered a fumble last week... CB WILLIE FORD (Indianapolis Colts) recorded 3 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass defense in Week 2... CB JERMAINE MAYS (Indianapolis Colts) recorded a game-winning interception with 54 seconds remaining last week... S ADRIAN MAYES (Arizona Cardinals) recorded 3 tackles last week... S DARYL DIXON (Indianapolis Colts) made 4 tackles in Week 2... K KEVIN MILLER (Seattle Seahawks) made 2 of 3 field goal attempts in Week 2, connecting from 29 and 37 yards, with the latter proving to be the game winner with 2:00 remaining... P BRIAN SIMNJANOVSKI (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was named Special Teams Player of Week 2 after punting 4 times for a 41.3 average (34.0 net) and landed kicks at the Hamburg 2, 10 and 18-yard lines.

QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Fra 23 16 179 1 0

Wk 2: vs Ham 28 17 168 1 1

TOTAL 51 33 347 2 1

RB CAL MURRAY (San Diego Chargers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Fra 22 84 0 3 8 0

Wk 2: vs Ham 12 49 0 1 5 1

TOTAL 34 133 0 4 13 1

RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS (NY Jets), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Fra 20 73 2 1 28 0

Wk 2: vs Ham 12 50 0 2 14 0

TOTAL 32 123 2* 3 42 0

* Leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 8

COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-0)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (25-27 inNFLEL, plus 2-0 in World Bowl)Colours: Black, red and white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bob Bicknell (2nd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: David Duggan (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 6-6

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 23-10 at Rhein (4/10/05)

OFFENSE: 23.5 pts/game; 278 yds/game (rank 3); 115 rush yds/game (rank 3); 163 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Passing: Kevin Thompson, 292 yds

Rushing: Kory Chapman, 114 yds

Receiving: Carl Morris 5 rec, 116 yards

DEFENSE: 16.5 pts/game; 276.5 yds/game (rank 3); 59.5 rush yds/game (rank 2); 217 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Sacks: Jamaine Winborne, 2.0

Interceptions: Lin-J Shell, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY ·

Centurions look to continue winning streak after posting back-to-back victories in same season for the first time with success at Rhein last week... Head coach PETER VAAS hopes team continues error-free football that marked last week's win. "The keys last week were that we didn't turn the ball over and we created some turnovers. That was down to our intensity on defense. It was tremendously important that we didn't turn the ball over."... QB KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo Bills) faces the team he played for in 2001, when he threw for 577 yards and 2 touchdowns. Has started both games this year (see table) and last week he scored both of Cologne's TDs on runs of 3 yards and 1 yard, finishing the game with 30 rushing yards on 6 carries... QB CHRIS LEWIS (Arizona Cardinals) saw limited action last week, completing 2 of 5 passes for 31 yards... RB KORY CHAPMAN (New England Patriots) leads the team in rushing (see table)... RB KEYLON KINCADE (Dallas Cowboys) rushed 12 times for 44 yards last week ... WR CARL MORRIS (San Diego Chargers) leads the league in receptions and receiving yards (see table). He had 7 catches for 143 yards and 1 TD in two games against Frankfurt last year... WR C.J. JONES (Cleveland Browns) returned 3 punts for 23 yards last week ... WR ROMBY BRYANT (Atlanta Falcons) did not catch a pass last week after posting 107 yards in Week 1. Ranks third in league in receiving yards... WR JAMIN ELLIOTT (Chicago Bears) caught a 17-yard pass last week... WR JAMES ADKISSON (Oakland Raiders) caught 1 pass for 15 yards last week ... Japanese WR MICHIHIRO OGAWA caught 1 pass for 11 yards in Week 2. Says Coach Vaas: "He is doing well. He has had a catch in each game and it was a big catch last week."... German TE WERNER HIPPLER has played in 80 NFLEL games, seven behind the all-time record of former Scottish Claymores wide receiver Scott Couper. Plays against the team with whom he made most of those appearances in a seven-year Galaxy career. Won three World Bowl rings with Frankfurt, catching 78 passes for 847 yards and 2 TDs. Did not catch a pass last

week, leaving him with NFLEL career totals of 85 receptions for 884 yards (both third all-time among national players) and 3TDs... LB BOBBY BROOKS leads the team with 14 tackles after posting 2 last week. He recovered a fumble and made 2 special teams tackles... CB JAMAINE WINBORNE (Baltimore Ravens) is joint league leader with 2 sacks and posted a team-high 5 tackles last week... S KALVIN PEARSON (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) made 3 tackles last week... S LIN-J SHELL (Philadelphia Eagles) had his team's first interception of the season last week... S ED CANONICO (Kansas City Chiefs) posted 3 tackles last week... LB ANTHONY DUNN Houston Texans) posted 4 tackles last week... DT BRYAN SAVE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) posted 4 tackles last week... DE ERIC POWELL made 4 tackles last week... K JIMMY KIBBLE made 3 of 4 FGs last week, hitting from 26, 37 and 39 yards and missing from 35. Ranks third among kickers with 17 points for the season.

QB KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo BIlls), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: vs Ham 25 16 197 2 0

Wk 2: at Rhein 21 9 95 0 0

TOTAL 46 25 292 2 0

RB KORY CHAPMAN (New England Patriots), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Ham 6 31 1 1 3 0

Wk 2: at Rhein 17 83 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 23 114 1 1 3 0

WR CARL MORRIS (San Diego Chargers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Ham 5 35 0

Wk 2: at Rhein 7 81 0

TOTAL 12* 116* 0

* Leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 9

FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-1)Head Coach: Mike Jones (8-4) in NFLEL, plus 0-1 in World Bowl.Colours: Purple, orange, red and white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Whitey Jordan (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed O'Neil (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 66-56

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 23-14 vs Amsterdam (4/9/05)

OFFENSE: 15 pts/game; 244 yds/game (rank 4); 108.5 rush yds/game (rank 4); 135.5 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Passing: Akili Smith, 163 yds

Rushing: Ahmaad Galloway, 198 yds

Receiving: Jamal Jones, 9 rec, 97 yds

DEFENSE: 22 pts/game; 351 yds/game (rank 6); 160 rush yds/game (rank 5); 191 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Sacks: Derrick Crawford, Seante Williams, Louis Gachelin 1.0

Interceptions: Seante Williams, Kellen Brantley 1

· THIS WEEK: at COLOGNE CENTURIONS ·

The Galaxy got their season on track with a storming comeback from 14-0 down against Amsterdam last week and head coach MIKE JONES hopes to continue that momentum this week.. "Our guys played their hearts out and it showed a lot about the character of this team. They fought back and fought hard."... QB AKILI SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has started both games this season (see table) and led a 99-yard drive, capped by his own 8-yard TD run, to start his team's comeback last week. Coach Jones says: "One of the turning points last week was Akili making that play and scoring. I felt that if we could score then our players could make things happen."... QB KEVIN EAKIN (New York Jets) completed 8 of 11 passes for 84 yards last week, including a vital 6-yard second-half TD pass... RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers) had the best rushing day in Galaxy team history last week, including an 8-yard TD (see table). He gained 19 yards on 9 carries in a Week 4 game against Cologne last year as a member of the Scottish Claymores... RB J.R. NIKLOS (Oakland Raiders) rushed for 4 yards on 2 carries last week... WR JAMAL JONES (Green Bay Packers) is the team's leading receiver after two weeks of the season (see table)... WR HUBERT WHITTAKER (Jacksonville Jaguars) caught 2 passes for 29 yards last week... WR SAM BREEDEN (Green Bay Packers) has 1 catch in each game this season... TE MARK ANELLI (Atlanta Falcons) caught 3 passes for 21 yards and 1 TD last week... TE BROCK EDWARDS caught 3 passes for 31 yards in Week 2... German RB MARTIN LATKA caught a 6-yard pass last week before leaving the game injured... English WR MARVIN ALLEN had a 9-yard catch, his first professional reception, last week... DE SEANTE WILLIAMS (Green Bay Packers) had his first sack of the year last week... DE DERRICK CRAWFORD (Cincinnati Bengals) recorded 4 tackles last week... DT LOUIS GACHELIN posted his first sack of the season last week... LB FRED PAGAC was joint team leader with 4 stops last week and now has

11 for the season... LB KEVIN DeRONDE (Dallas Cowboys) recorded 3 tackles last week... LB KELLEN BRANTLEY (Buffalo Bills) had Frankfurt's only interception last week... LB HOWARD HODGES (San Diego Chargers) registered 2 stops in Week 2... Turkish LB CUNEYT TOPCU served as Frankfurt's national starter on defense in Week 1, before leaving the game injured, giving playing time to DE ULRICH WINKLER. Coach Jones says of Winkler: "He did a good job for us and may get a lot of reps now."... S RAYMOND PERRYMAN (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the team with 13 tackles after 4 last week. Had 43 tackles for Amsterdam last year...K STEVE SCALDAFERRI (Indianapolis Colts) made a 19-yard FG and missed from 33 yards on his Galaxy debut last week. Was 2 of 3 on extra points.

QB AKILI SMITH Tampa Bay Buccaneers), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Berlin 6 11 68 1 1

Wk 2: vs Ams 12 9 95 0 0

TOTAL 18 20 163 1 1

RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Berlin 9 37 0 0 0 0

Wk 2: vs Ams 33 161 1 1 8 0

TOTAL 42 198 1 1 8 0

WR JAMAL JONES (Green Bay Packers), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Berlin 4 38 0

Wk 2: vs ams 5 59 0

TOTAL 9 97 0

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 10

HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-2)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (61-61 in NFLEL, 2-5 in post-season)Colours: Dark blue, teal, red

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 0-2

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 13-15 at Berlin (4/10/05)

OFFENSE: 18 pts/game; 240.5 yds/game (rank 5); 61.5 rush yds/game (rank 6); 179 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Passing: Casey Bramlet, 358 yds

Rushing: Zack Abron, 81 yds

Receiving: Bobby Blizzard 11 rec, Scott McCready, 112 yds

DEFENSE: 19.5 pts/game; 274.5 yds/game (rank 2); 89 rush yds/game (rank 3); 185.5 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Sacks: Five players, 1.0

Interceptions: Lawrence Richardson, 1

· THIS WEEK: vs. RHEIN FIRE ·

The Sea Devils head home to make their debut at AOL Arena having lost their opening two games of the season by a combined 3 points... Head coach JACK BICKNELL remains in a positive mood and says: "I like this team and I like our effort. I like our quarterbacks and I like our running backs and receivers. In fact, I don't dislike anything about our team apart from the fact we are 0-2."... QB CASEY BRAMLET (Cincinnati Bengals) started for the second game in a row last week and completed 13 of 18 attempts for 120 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Ranks fourth among NFLEL starters with a passer rating of 88.2... QB RYAN DINWIDDIE (Chicago Bears) saw second quarter action in Berlin and hit on 5 of 13 passes for 50 yards with an interception... RB LARRY CROOM (Arizona Cardinals) rushed for 34 yards on 8 carries last week and added 2 receptions for 11 yards... RB ZACK ABRON (Chicago Bears) gained 25 yards on 8 attempts last week and leads Hamburg with 81 rushing yards in two games... English WR SCOTT McCREADY caught a team-high 8 passes for 88 yards last week to become the leading national receiver in NFLEL history with 114 career receptions for 1,231 yards, surpassing former Scottish Claymores legend Scott Couper, who retired with 107 catches for 1,157 yards. Has played six times against the Rhein Fire and caught 21 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown... WR DEREK McCOY (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) did not catch a pass last week after grabbing 3 in the season opener... WR RICKY BRYANT (New England Patriots) scored on a 19-yard reception last week, taking season total to 6 catches for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns... WR CHRIS COLLINS (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught 1 pass for -2 yards last week and has 7 receptions on the year... WR TERRANCE METCALF (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught a 22-yard pass last week – his first of the season... TE BOBBY BLIZZARD (Arizona Cardinals) ranks second in NFL Europe with 11 receptions after

catching 4 passes for 19 yards last week... DE IVORY McCOY posted 4 tackles and 1 sack last week, taking his two-game total to 7 tackles, 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles... DE KEVIN EMANUEL (Seattle Seahawks) has 7 tackles and 1 sack on the year after adding 3 stops to his tally in Berlin last week... DE AARON HUNT (Denver Broncos) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 5 this season... German DT BASTIAN LANO faces his old club having played for the Rhein Fire in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Has 10.5 career sacks after adding 1 sack and 3 tackles to his tally last week... LB MARQUIS SMITH (Oakland Raiders) recorded 3 tackles last weekend and has 5 on the season... LB NICK McNEIL (Green Bay Packers) recorded 5 tackles and 1 special teams stop in Berlin in Week 2... LB SCOTT GENORD (Detroit Lions) posted 5 tackles last week and has 9 on the season... LB SHAWN MORGAN (Green Bay Packers) recorded 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 2 special teams stops in Berlin... CB MARCELL ALLMOND (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the Sea Devils with 14 tackles after recording a team-high 8 stops, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in Week 2... CB RUFUS BROWN (Washington Redskins) recorded 5 tackles and 1 pass defense last week... CB ZACH NORTON (Baltimore Ravens) leads the Sea Devils with 3 passes defended after knocking down 2 attempts in Berlin last week... CB LAWRENCE RICHARDSON recorded 3 tackles and an interception last week... S ERIC CROUCH (Kansas City Chiefs), a former Heisman Trophy-winning QB, had 3 tackles last week and has recorded 7 stops in his first two games as a pro safety... K TODD FRANCE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads NFL Europe with 24 points after two games, having converted 7 of 8 field goals, long 54, and 2 of 2 PATs... P B.J. SANDER (Green Bay Packers) leads the league with an average of 43.6 yards on 7 punts, landing 3 inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

QB CASEY BRAMLET (Cincinnati Bengals), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Col 38 24 238 1 0

Wk 2: at Ber 18 13 120 1 1

TOTAL 56* 37* 358 * 2 1

WR SCOTT McCREADY, GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Col 2 24 0

Wk 2: at Ber 8 88 0

TOTAL 10 112 0

TE BOBBY BLIZZARD (Arizona Cardinals), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Col 7 88 0

Wk 2: at Ber 4 19 0

TOTAL 11 107 0

* Leads NFLEL

TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 11

RHEIN FIRE (0-2)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (21-21 in NFLEL, 0-2 in World Bowls)Colours: Burgundy, black and white

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Milanovich (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 55-47

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 10-23 vs Cologne, (4/10/05)

OFFENSE: 12 pts/game; 235.5 yds/game (rank 6); 76.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 159 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Passing: Scott McBrien, 230 yds

Rushing: Joe Smith, 115 yds

Receiving: Jason Rader 9 rec, Cedric James 78 yds

DEFENSE: 23.5 pts/game; 321 yds/game (rank 5); 152.5 rush yds/game (rank 5); 168.5 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Sacks: Sean Guthrie, Greg Scott, Clarence Curry, 1.0

Interceptions: None

· THIS WEEK: at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS ·

The Rhein Fire travel to Hamburg to face a similarly winless Sea Devils club. Head coach PETE KUHARCHEK expects more from his team following two disappointing losses to start the season. He says: "It was probably one of the sloppiest performances since I have been at the Rhein Fire. But if we stick together and keep working, we will be okay. I have total confidence we will go to Hamburg with a chance to win."... QB ANDY HALL (Philadelphia Eagles) completed 7 of 16 attempts for 67 yards last week and has season figures of 12 completions from 23 attempts for 100 yards... QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers) leads the Fire in passing yards (see table) after hitting on 10 of 18 attempts for 141 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception last week... RB JOE SMITH (Tennessee Titans) leads the Fire in rushing yards (see table) after gaining 53 on 16 carries last week. Also caught 3 passes for 21 yards in Week 2... RB DAHRRAN DIEDRICK (Washington Redskins) did not play against Cologne last week... FB JOE HALL (Kansas City Chiefs) has 3 receptions for 19 yards this season... WR CEDRIC JAMES (New England Patriots) caught 5 passes for 50 yards last week and leads the Fire in receiving yardage (see table)... WR GLENN MARTINEZ (Detroit Lions) caught 3 passes for 40 yards against Cologne and has 4 receptions for 67 yards on the season... WR JERIS McINTYRE (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 3 passes for 71 yards and scored on a 58-yard reception last week... WR CEDRIC BONNER (Oakland Raiders) did not catch a pass last weekend... TE JASON RADER leads the Fire with 9 receptions after making 3 catches for 26 yards last week... DE GREG SCOTT (Cincinnati Bengals) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 6 stops and 1 sack in 2005... DE SEAN GUTHRIE recorded 4 tackles and forced a fumble against the Centurions last week and has 5 tackles and 1 sack on the season... DT EDDIE FREEMAN (Carolina Panthers) recorded 2 tackles last week after registering 4 on opening weekend... DE DEMETRIOS WALKER (Kansas City Chiefs) made 4 tackles and knocked down a pass in Week

2... LB TONY GILBERT (Jacksonville Jaguars) played in 16 games for the Jaguars in 2004. Leads the Fire with 17 tackles after adding 8 stops last week... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 3 tackles last week and has 8 this season... LB EDWARD THOMAS (Oakland Raiders) has played in 24 NFL games with San Francisco and Jacksonville from 2000-02, starting four times and recording 45 tackles and 14 special teams takedowns. Registered a team-high 11 tackles last week to take his season tally to 14... CB BLUE ADAMS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) made 1 tackle and knocked down 2 passes last week... CB JONATHAN COX (San Diego Chargers) made 2 tackles in Week 2... S KEYON NASH (Oakland Raiders) made 1 tackle last week and has 6 on the season... German S RICHARD YANCY recorded 5 tackles, 1 pass defense and 1 forced fumble last week, taking his season tackle total to 8... S CHRIS DAY (Green Bay Packers) ranks third in NFL Europe with a 23.6-yard kickoff return average... S CHAZ MOORE (Kansas City Chiefs) registered 6 tackles last week... K NICHOLAS SETTA (Chicago Bears) made a 28-yard field goal last week but missed from 27 yards out... P TRAVIS DORSCH (Minnesota Vikings) is averaging 37.9 yards per punt this season, placing him fourth among league punters.

QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers), GAME-BY-GAME

Att Comp Yds TD Int

Wk 1: at Ams 16 8 89 1 2

Wk 2: vs Col 18 10 141 1 1

TOTAL 34 18 230 2 3*

RB JOE SMITH (Tennessee Titans), GAME-BY-GAME

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Ams 14 62 0 0 0 0

Wk 2: vs Col 16 53 0 3 21 0

TOTAL 30 115 0 3 21 0

WR CEDRIC JAMES (New England Patriots), GAME-BY-GAME

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Ams 3 28 1

Wk 2: vs Col 5 50 0

TOTAL 8 78 0

* Leads NFLEL

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 12

FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-1)

at COLOGNE CENTURIONS (2-0)

RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Saturday April 16, 6:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Frankfurt leads 2-0

At Cologne: Frankfurt leads 1-0

At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 1-0

Streak: Frankfurt 2

Last season: Frankfurt 21 at Cologne 10; Cologne 17 at Frankfurt 24

TELEVISION

GERMANY: LIVE/Premiere Sport 2.

US: LIVE/ DIrecTV (12 noon ET)

Play-by-play announcer MATT SHEPARD is joined in the booth by former Dallas Cowboys safety DARREN WOODSON.

COACHES

MIKE JONES is in his second season as head coach of the Galaxy after leading the club to a World Bowl appearance in 2004. Won World Bowls as an assistant coach with the Rhein Fire in 1998 and 2000. PETER VAAS has won the opening two games of a season for the first time in his career. In his sixth NFLEL season, he remains the only head coach in NFLEL history to lead a club to back-to-back World Bowl victories (Berlin Thunder 2001-2002).

GAME NOTES

The Cologne Centurions are enjoying a winning start to the season and have won four of their last five games dating back to Week 8 of the 2004 campaign... Since opening the 2004 season with an 0-3 record, Cologne has gone 6-3... With a victory last weekend, Frankfurt halted a three-game losing streak that included a defeat to Berlin in World Bowl XII... Cologne is the least penalized team in NFL Europe this year, being flagged 16 times. Teams facing Cologne have committed a league-high 25 penalties... Both teams have performed well up front. Frankfurt has not allowed a sack in two games, while Cologne has surrendered just 2 to rank second in NFL Europe... Cologne is the only team not to throw an interception this season but they have lost a league-high 3 fumbles... Cologne's offense is ranked third in total yards but first in points (47) and touchdowns (5)... Frankfurt's defense has faced 125 offensive plays in two weeks – the most of any NFLEL club. As a result, the Galaxy's average time of possession (27:05) is second-lowest in NFL Europe... Frankfurt has run 100 offensive plays in two games (fewest in NFL Europe)... Both teams have rushed 56 times this season – Cologne for 230 yards, Frankfurt for 217... Cologne quarterbacks are completing just 49.1 percent of their passes (lowest in NFLEL) but the 12.2 yards per completion ranks second in the league... Frankfurt's defense is allowing opponents to gain 11.8 yards per pass completion, leaving them ranked fifth in that department... Cologne leads the NFL Europe League with 3 rushing touchdowns... Frankfurt's quarterbacks are completing 56.8 percent of their passes to rank third in NFL Europe... Cologne has allowed a league-high 25 first downs by passing... Cologne's red zone defense is second-best in NFLEL, allowing just 1 TD on 8 trips inside the 20-yard line... The Galaxy won both meetings between the clubs last season. In Week 2, running backs SKIP HICKS (Cincinnati Bengals) and LEONARD HENRY (Miami Dolphins) scored on runs, while wide receiver JERMAINE LEWIS (Houston Texans) recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown as Frankfurt won 21-10. In the return meeting in Week 5, Hicks scored on a 5-yard run with 47 seconds remaining to give the Galaxy a 24-17 victory.

BERLIN THUNDER (2-0) at

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1)

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Saturday April 16, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Berlin leads 8-4

At Amsterdam: Series tied at 3-3

At Berlin: Berlin leads 5-1

Streak: Berlin 2

Last season: Berlin 28 at Amsterdam 17; Amsterdam 29 at Berlin 33

COACHES

RICK LANTZ improved his regular season record to 11-1 with last week's defeat of Hamburg, giving him an all-time NFLEL-high winning percentage of .916. Is the reigning Coach of the Year and won a World Bowl as a rookie head coach in 2004. BART ANDRUS is in his fifth season as head coach of the Admirals and is chasing a first appearance in World Bowl. Won a World Bowl ring as offensive coordinator of the Rhein Fire in 2000. Served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans when they went to the Super Bowl in 1999.

GAME NOTES

After two home wins to start the new season, the Thunder head to Amsterdam where they have won on three of their last four visits... The Thunder have won a club record six regular season games in a row and their last seven encounters including World Bowl XII defeat of Frankfurt... Dating back to Week 10 of the 2003 campaign, the Thunder have won 13 of their last 14 games (including World Bowl)... Berlin boasts NFL Europe's top-ranked offense and leading defense... Berlin have run 24 more offensive plays than the next closest team (143 to Hamburg's 119) and also lead NFL Europe in pass completion percentage (65.0) average time of possession (39:12) and third down efficiency (45.5 percent)... Berlin tops NFL Europe with a +2 turnover ratio – they have a league-high 5 takeaways (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles) and have committed 3 turnovers (2 interceptions, 1 fumble)... The Admirals lead NFL Europe with 13.97 yards per pass completion and 6.3 yards per offensive play, but they have held the ball for an NFLEL low average of 26:02 per game... Amsterdam also leads NFL Europe with a 6.0 rushing average but their 40 rushing attempts rank fifth in the league... Berlin's run defense is the toughest in NFL Europe, allowing opponents to gain 3.3 yards per rush... Berlin's offensive line has conceded 5 sacks (second-most in NFLEL) but the Admirals have recorded just 2 sacks to rank fifth in NFL Europe... Berlin's defense has been the toughest in the league on third downs, allowing opponents to pick up first downs on just 28.6 percent of the time... The Thunder have been flagged more than any other team in the league, committing 29 penalties in two games... Berlin has scored the first touchdown of the game in both their victories this season... Berlin's defense has allowed a league-low 20 points... The Admirals are averaging just 15.9 yards per kickoff return – lowest in NFL Europe... Amsterdam's punt coverage unit is the best in NFLEL, allowing 3.7 yards per return... Berlin's punt return team is the best in the league, averaging 10.6 yards per return... Amsterdam has lost a league-low 1 fumble this season... Amsterdam's offense is ranked second in NFL Europe in total yards... The Thunder won both meetings between the teams in 2004. In Amsterdam, QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots) threw 2 TD passes to German WR JÖRG HECKENBACH as the Thunder ran out 28-17 winners. In the return match in Berlin, Davey threw 4 touchdown passes to wide receiver RICHARD ALSTON (Cleveland Browns), twice, wideout AARON BOONE (Chicago Bears) and tight end MIKE PINKARD (Kansas City Chiefs) in a 33-29 win.

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / RECAP OF WEEK 2 NFL Europe 2005, Week 3 - Page 13

RHEIN FIRE (0-2) at

HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-2)

AOL Arena, Hamburg. Saturday April 16, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: First meeting between teams

At Hamburg: 0-0

At Rhein: 0-0

Streak: First meeting between teams

TELEVISION

US: LIVE/NFL Network (10:00 a.m. ET)

Play-by-play announcer DWAYNE BALLEN is joined in the booth by analyst BRIAN JONES, a former NFL linebacker with the New Orleans Saints who played in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores in 1995.

COACHES

PETE KUHARCHEK has led the Rhein Fire to a pair of World Bowl appearances during his tenure, losing the title game to Berlin in 2002 and Frankfurt in 2003. Won World Bowls in 1998 and 2000 as defensive coordinator of the Fire. Has lost his last six games with the Fire... JACK BICKNELL is in his 13th NFLEL season having served as head coach of the Barcelona Dragons (1991-2003), Scottish Claymores (2004) and now the Sea Devils. Has a career record of 61-61 and won one World Bowl in 1997.

GAME NOTES

Since opening the 2004 season with a 2-0 record, the Fire has lost nine of its last 10 games... Hamburg's two losses have come by a combined total of 3 points, with the deciding score in each game coming inside the final 4:55... The Sea Devils head into their home opener knowing they still have the opportunity to record the fastest win of any single expansion team – Ohio started 0-6 in 1992, Berlin 0-4 in 1999 and Cologne 0-3 in 2004... Game features two teams looking for first win of 2005 campaign and the least productive offenses in the league through the opening two weeks. Hamburg ranks fifth in total yards and Rhein sixth. Both clubs have scored a league-low 2 touchdowns... The Fire have not led at any stage of the 2005 season... Rhein is averaging a league-low 3.4 yards per rush this season... Despite being ranked fifth overall on offense, no team has thrown for more yards than the Sea Devils (424 yards from a league-high 79 attempts)... Hamburg ranks second in pass completion percentage (57.0) but their average yards per completion figure (9.4) is the lowest in NFL Europe... Rhein's defense is giving up a league-high 13.3 yards per completion... Hamburg has given up a league-high 9 sacks through two games... Rhein's offensive line has conceded just 2 sacks but faces a Hamburg defense tied for the league lead with 5 sacks... Hamburg ranks second in total offensive plays (119) and average time of possession (30:25)... Rhein has scored a league-low 24 points and allowed 47 points in return – most in NFL Europe... Neither team has scored a rushing touchdown in the opening two weeks... Hamburg has struggled on third downs, converting on just 29.6 percent of all attempts to rank fifth in NFLEL... Rhein has been in the red zone a league-low 4 times, scoring 1 touchdown and 1 field goal... Rhein leads NFL Europe with an average of 22.9 yards per kickoff return... Hamburg's defense allowing 3.5 yards per rush (second-best in NFLEL), while Rhein is giving up 5.0 yards per run to rank fifth in rushing defense.

· WEEK TWO RECAP ·

Amsterdam Admirals 14, Frankfurt Galaxy 23

(Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Attendance: 31,644)

Ahmaad Galloway (Fra), 161 rush yds, 1 TD

Gibran Hamdan (Ams) 171 pass yds, 1 TD

Ron Israel (Ams) 12 tackles

Hamburg Sea Devils 13, Berlin Thunder 15

(Olympic Stadium, Berlin. Attendance: 14,312)

Dave Ragone (Ber) 168 pass yds, 1 TD

Casey Bramlet (Ham) 120 pass yds, 1 TD

Scott McCready (Ham) 8 recs, 88 yds

Berlin defense forced 4 turnovers

Cologne Centurions 23, Rhein Fire 10

(LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Attendance: 25,304)

Kevin Thompson (Col) 95 pass yds, 2 rush TDs

Scott McBrien (Rhe) 141 pass yds, 1 TD

Jimmy Kibble (Col) 3 FGs (26, 37 and 39 yds)

Carl Morris (Col) 7 recs, 81 yds

National Football League Europa Stories from April 12, 2005

• Leaders take on clubs one game back in standings - NFLE
• NFLE week two recap - OSC Original by Tommy Brown
• Galaxy hero Galloway rewarded for record night - NFLE

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