Race looks to be crowded
March 28, 2006 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE 2006 NFL Europe League season may only be two weeks old but one thing is already becoming clear - the race to Yello Strom World Bowl XIV in Düsseldorf on Saturday May 27 is set to be a crowded and exciting one.
With two rounds of action in the record books, five of the six teams have registered victories, with the Hamburg Sea Devils (0-2) being the only club yet to get off the mark. The Sea Devils will look to get one in the âW' column on Saturday night when they play host to the Berlin Thunder (1-1).
Later that evening, the Amsterdam Admirals (1-1) will take on the Frankfurt Galaxy (1-1) with both teams coming off vital wins to even their records last weekend.
The first silverware of the new season will be on offer on Sunday April 2 as the Rhein Fire (2-0) and Cologne Centurions (1-1) play for more than just local bragging rights as they do battle for the Rhein Cup: The Mayor's Trophy. The Fire will be keen to open a season 3-0 for the first time since 1998, when they went on to win the World Bowl.
WEEK THREE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY APRIL 1
Berlin Thunder at Hamburg Sea Devils
AOL Arena, Hamburg, 6:00 p.m.
Frankfurt Galaxy at Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 7:00 p.m.
SUNDAY APRIL 2
Rhein Fire at Cologne Centurions
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, 4:00 p.m.
(for the Rhein Cup)
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - WEEK 2
OFFENSIVE - ROGER ROBINSON - RB, Frankfurt
150 rushing yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions for 26 yards
DEFENSIVE - THERRIAN FONTENOT - CB, Rhein
3 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes defended
SPECIAL TEAMS - JUSTIN PERKINS - CB, Amsterdam
Returned blocked field goal 72 yards for TD
NATIONAL - SCOTT McCREADY - WR, Hamburg
Led Sea Devils with 8 receptions for 95 yards
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 2
COVER STORY (continued)
When the Week 3 action gets underway Saturday night, Berlin Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ will demand more from a team coming off a 22-0 blanking at the hands of the Rhein Fire.
He says: "We didn't rise to the occasion last week and we got our butt kicked in about every way you can get it kicked. We had fumbles, bad snaps from center, we threw interceptions and we missed tackles.
"I expect us to play much better when we go to Hamburg. We will rise up and go from there. We still have eight more games to play and I think we will be a competitive football team."
Despite seeing his team open the season 0-2 for the second year in a row, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL does not expect his players to throw in the towel and says: "If you are 0-2 you are in a hole and we have a lot of work ahead of us but we have good kids and I like our team. They're not going to back off."
After seeing his Admirals grab a crucial road win last weekend, head coach BART ANDRUS says: "I can't say enough about the effort and determination of our players coming in here, particularly after we got off to a shaky start the previous week. Our players have stepped up and shown a willingness and determination to play good football, and their effort was rewarded. We believe in thinking positively and we will go into every game believing we can win."
Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says of last weekend's first win of the new campaign: "We are happy with the victory. We played a tough opponent and we got off to a quick start. Hamburg fought back and it took some time for us to put the game away."
While the Rhein Fire remains NFL Europe's lone undefeated team following last weekend's shut-out of the Berlin Thunder, head coach JIM TOMSULA is not about to let his players take the foot of the gas.
According to the first-year coach, Rhein will continue to put the emphasis on preparation and teamwork.
He explains: "We always talk about winning the game on Monday and Tuesday. On gameday, everybody wants to win. The magic is having the will to prepare on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That's when you win football games - practicing at a good pace and taking care of the little things early in the week. The other thing we talk about is winning as a team. We don't have a go-to guy - we have to win as a team on offense, defense and special teams.
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN rued missed opportunities as his club fell to a five-point home loss last week, saying: "I am very disappointed for our fans and for our players. You can't afford to have penalties and go into the red zone and not come away with points. We were still in a position to win despite those mistakes and I know we will come back and play well against the Rhein Fire."
Here's to you, Mr. Robinson
FRANKFURT Galaxy running back ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) became just the second player in NFL Europe League history to open a season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games during his team's 31-14 defeat of the Hamburg Sea Devils.
After rushing for 150 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 carries, Robinson joined LAWRENCE PHILLIPS (Barcelona Dragons, 1999) as the only other player to accomplish the feat.
Phillips gained 159 yards against Amsterdam in Week 1, 114 at Rhein in Week 2 and 109 vs. Berlin in Week 3.
Robinson gained 103 yards at Rhein in Week 1 and needs to top the 100-yard mark at Amsterdam in Week 3 to match the achievements of Phillips.
And Robinson's value to the Galaxy is clear to see. Throughout the course of their history, Frankfurt has a 14-2 record in games when one of their backs has rushed for more than 100 yards.
Robinson, who has been named NFL Europe's Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Hamburg, says: "It feels good to be leading the league in rushing right now, but it's early. We're only two games into it and we have eight to go. If I'm on top after Week 10, then I'll feel real good.
Lantz helps a friend in need
RICK LANTZ has a wealth of football knowledge garnered from more than 40 years in the coaching ranks, so it should come as no surprise to find him passing on tips before the Berlin Thunder took on the Rhein Fire in Week Two.
But on this occasion, Lantz wasn't guiding one of his assistant coaches or tutoring a Thunder player, he was handing out valuable advice to Fire head coach and former Berlin defensive coordinator JIM TOMSULA.
Tomsula, whose team went on to defeat Lantz's Thunder 22-0, admits: "Before the game started Rick Lantz was still coaching me up. I asked him a question about burning the clock and he stood at midfield, just before we played his team, and coached me up on the two-minute drill. I can't say how strongly I feel about that man."
Lantz joked: "Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. We have a great feeling for each other. Jim Tomsula and I will exchange professional information as long as I am alive and he is alive. I am happy for Jim Tomsula and proud of him. He did a great job and his team played well. I would like us to be playing each other in the World Bowl."
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 3
McCready maintains progress up the NFLEL receiving charts
Hamburg Sea Devils English wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY can take lone possession of second place on NFL Europe's all-time receptions list with 1 catch against Berlin on Saturday night.
McCready, the only Brit to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 2001 New England Patriots, is currently tied with DEMETRIUS DAVIS (Barcelona 1991-92, 1995-96) with 151 career receptions.
By catching 8 passes for 95 yards in Frankfurt last week, McCready became just the third player in NFLEL history to top 150 career receptions.
Here is where McCready ranks in the all-time receptions and receiving yards charts:
All-time receptions leaders in NFLEL history
Player/Team Receptions
Mario Bailey (Frank 95-00) 252
Demetrius Davis (Bar 91-92, 95-96) 151
Scott McCready (Sco 02-04, Ham 05) 151
Judd Garrett (Lon 91-92) 126
Michael Titley (Orl 92, Lon 95-97) 124
All-time receiving yards leaders in NFLEL history
Player/Team Receptions
Mario Bailey (Frank 95-00) 3,805
Demetrius Davis (Bar 91-92, 95-96) 1,755
Scott McCready (Sco 02-04, Ham 05) 1,702
Yo Murphy (Sco 96-97, 99) 1,614
Tyree Davis (Bar 95, 97) 1,593
McCready needs 54 yards to move into second place on the all-time list in receiving yards, again surpassing Davis. He is already the leading national receiver in league history.
NFLEL FACTS: Road warriors
For the second weekend in a row, two of the three games in NFL Europe were won by the road team, with Amsterdam and Rhein winning away from the comforts of home. In the opening six games of the year, four have been won by the road team. In 2005, road teams won a total of 10 regular season games, losing 20.
NFLEL FACTS:Big runs wanted
Rhein Fire, Hamburg Sea Devils and Berlin Thunder are the only teams yet to register a running play covering 20+ yards. Those clubs rank third, fourth and fifth in rushing yards respectively. Frankfurt and Cologne lead the way with 2 20+rushing plays each and rank first and second in total rushing yards. Berlin leads NFLEL with 8 pass plays covering 20 yards or more. Amsterdam ranks second with 5 pass plays of 20+ yards.
Dominant Fire defense setting records in early season action
IN recording a 22-0 shut-out over the Berlin Thunder in Week Two, the undefeated Rhein Fire made NFL Europe League history.
Under first-year head coach JIM TOMSULA, the Fire has conceded just 6 points in wins over Frankfurt and Berlin - that is the lowest two-game total to open a season in NFLEL history, breaking the mark of 12 points conceded by the Sacramento Surge in 1992.
The Fire has also become the first team in league history not to concede a touchdown in its opening two games of the year, holding the Galaxy to just a pair of field goals in Week One.
If Rhein can keep the Cologne Centurions out of the end zone in Week Three, they will become the first team in league history to hold an opponent without a touchdown in three consecutive games.
The current record stands at two games in a row and is held by the 1991 Frankfurt Galaxy (beat Birmingham 10-3 in Week Eight and Barcelona 10-3 in Week Nine) and the 2001 Rhein Fire (beat Scotland 10-3 in Week Five and Frankfurt 22-5 in Week Six).
Fire General Manager SAMMY SCHMALE says: "We want to continue this positive trend and to do so we will need the help of all Rhein Fire fans. If we can turn the Cologne game into our sixth home game, why shouldn't we hold an opponent without a touchdown again?"
In addition to leading the way in terms of points conceded, the Fire defense is also ranked first in total yards allowed (207 per game), passing yards given up (114 per game) and turnovers (8).
13 national player starters
A total of 13 national players from six different countries around the world (England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Sweden) performed as starters on offense and defense in NFL Europe League Week Two action.
Leading the way with national starters was the Hamburg Sea Devils (3), who saw English wide receiver SCOTT McCREADY top the club with 8 receptions for 95 yards. German safety CLAUDIUS OSEI registered 4 tackles while English linebacker ADEN DURDE added 3 stops.
The undefeated Rhein Fire was led by French fullback LAURENT MARCELINE (4 receptions for 32 yards) and German safety RICHARD YANCY (7 tackles). Swedish linebacker CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK and German defensive end CHRISTIAN MOHR registered 5 tackles apiece for Amsterdam and Berlin respectively.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 4
Explosive Admirals giving fans of big plays reasons to cheer
FOOTBALL fans who love seeing big plays and long touchdowns should get themselves a ticket to an Amsterdam Admirals game in the near future.
Through the opening two weeks of the 2006 season, BART ANDRUS' club has shown a penchant for the spectacular play - on offense, defense and special teams.
In the first two weekends of NFL Europe League action, there have been 10 plays covering 40 yards or more and the Admirals have accounted for seven of them.
Here is a look at the 40+ yard plays produced by the Admirals in Weeks One and Two of the 2006 season:
Derrick Ballard 95-yard fumble return (TD)
Justin Perkins 72-yard return of blocked FG (TD)
Skyler Fulton 65-yard reception (TD)
Noriaki Kinoshita 59-yard punt return (TD)
Craig Bragg 56-yard reception
Skyler Fulton 54-yard reception (TD)
Noriaki Kinoshita 48-yard reception
Of those seven big plays, five resulted in touchdowns and another set up a six-point score. The four big pass plays came from the arm of Seattle Seahawks-allocated quarterback GIBRAN HAMDAN.
Andrus says: "We feel good about our vertical passing game on offense. Through training camp and over the last couple of weeks we have been able to throw the ball up the field and that is a positive thing."
Hamdan feels the running threat provided by LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) and DIAMOND FERRI (Atlanta Falcons) can only help the passing game. The rushing duo combined for 104 yards at Cologne in Week Two.
The third-year quarterback says: "Any time we can establish the run as an offense we are tough to beat. We can get in trouble when we are one-dimensional. I'm always pushing Diamond Ferri, Larry Croom and Sandino Octobre to keep getting the carries and wear out the defense. Then we can hit them with our vertical ball and make plays through the air."
SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) has scored on touchdown receptions covering 65 and 54 yards in the opening two weeks of the season and leads NFL Europe with 11 receptions for 236 yards (21.5 average).
He says: "Right now it is happening for me, but a lot goes into making big plays come about. I am confident that as the season goes on all our receivers are going to have big plays at one time or another."
Rookie head coaches face off; Tomsula could join elite group
ROOKIE head coaches JIM TOMSULA and DAVID DUGGAN will oversee the renewal of a local rivalry this weekend as the Rhein Fire and Cologne Centurions battle for more than just local bragging rights at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday.
On offer as well as a crucial early-season boost in the standings is The Rhein Cup: The Mayors' Trophy, which was introduced as a prize for the winner of games between the local rivals in 2005.
The fabulous trophy is the result of a challenge between the mayors of the neighboring cities, JOACHIM ERWIN and FRITZ SCHRAMMA.
The Rhein Fire currently holds The Rhein Cup having defeated the Cologne Centurions in Week Nine of the 2005 season. The Centurions had earlier held the trophy after a Week Two win in Düsseldorf. The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2.
While Cologne's Duggan tasted defeat for the first time as a head coach last week, Tomsula, of the Fire, saw his team improve to 2-0 on the year.
With victory this weekend, Tomsula can become the fifth first-year head coach in league history to open his rookie season with three straight wins.
Here are the others to have achieved that feat:
Coach/Team Season-opening streak
Rick Lantz (Ber 2004) 5-0, won World Bowl
Mike Jones (Fra 2004) 3-0, reached World Bowl
Al Luginbill (Ams 1995) 7-0, reached World Bowl
Larry Kennan (Lon 1991) 9-0, won World Bowl
Tomsula says: "It is a nice rivalry and for the fans of both cities it is an exciting time. I know we have a fan group that takes a boat down the river to the game and there is a lot of excitement about that. As a football team, we have to concentrate on getting better every day."
Looking ahead to the weekend meeting with the Centurions, Fire linebacker RICHARD ADJEI - a Düsseldorf native - adds: "It's a big rivalry. Both sets of fans are great and we always have a lot of people come out and support the Fire. It gets crazy."
Centurions German tight end WERNER HIPPLER - whose hometown is Cologne - explains: "The rivalry between the Centurions and Fire goes way back into history when Cologne and Düsseldorf battled each other in a real war in the 1800's.
"The cities hated each other then and still hate each other, so when they play anything like soccer or now American football, it is a very intense atmosphere. There is nothing else like it."
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1)
Head Coach: Bart Andrus (24-28 in NFLEL,
Plus 1-0 in World Bowl)
Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Richard Kent/Rex Norris (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 58-54
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 20-15 vs. Cologne (3/26/06)
OFFENSE: 24.5 pts/game; 324.5 yds/game (rank 1); 84.5 yds rush/game (rank 6); 240 yds pass/game (rank 1)
Passing: Gibran Hamdan, 455 yds
Rushing: Larry Croom, 116 yds
Receiving: Skyler Fulton, 11 rec, 236 yds
DEFENSE: 24 pts/game; 360 yds/game (rank 6); 143 rush yds/game (rank 5); 217 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Tony Brown, Earl Cochran, 1.0
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY -
Head coach BART ANDRUS liked what he saw in Week Two as his Admirals came up with a key road victory in Cologne, saying: "That showed us as a mentally tough football team and I was happy. Both teams could have won but we were fortunate to come out on top."... QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe in passing yards (see table) and ranks second with a 70.8 passer rating. Has played three games against Frankfurt, throwing for 294 yards and 1 TD... QB JARED ALLEN (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) saw his first action of 2006 last week and hit on 2 of 3 attempts for 8 yards... QB REGGIE ROBERTSON (Oakland Raiders) has completed 4 of 5 passes for 39 yards this season... RB LARRY CROOM (San Diego Chargers) ranks fourth in rushing yards (see table) after gaining 82 on 15 carries last week. Played in two games against the Galaxy in 2005, rushing for 84 yards and 1 touchdown... RB DIAMOND FERRI (Atlanta Falcons) rushed for 22 yards last week and has gained 44 on 13 carries this term... WR CRAIG BRAGG (Chicago Bears) caught 2 passes for 9 yards last week and has 3 for 65 in 2006... WR SKYLER FULTON (Seattle Seahawks) leads NFL Europe in receptions and receiving yards (see table) after posting his second 100-yard game in as many contests last week... WR CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay Packers) has caught 3 passes for 59 yards this season after reeling in 1 throw for 35 yards last weekend... WR VINCENT BUTLER (Green Bay Packers) has 3 receptions for 27 yards this season... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA caught a 48-yard pass last week and ran back a kickoff 29 yards. Has 2 receptions for 61 yards on the year and has averaged 21.3 yards on 4 kickoff returns... TE TORY HUMPHREY (Green Bay Packers) caught 2 passes for 20 yards last week and has 4 for 32 on the season... DE EARL COCHRAN recorded 6 tackles and 1 sack last week and has season totals of 11 stops and 1 sack this year... DE CLAUDE
HARRIOTT registered 2 tackles last week and has 5 on the season... DE DARRELL LEE (Philadelphia Eagles) made 4 tackles last week... DT TONY BROWN (Carolina Panthers) recorded 2 tackles, 1 sack and blocked a field goal that was returned for a touchdown in Week Two. Has 6 tackles to his name this season... DT JEREMY CAUDILL recorded 1 tackle last week. Played two games against the Galaxy in 2005 and registered 5 tackles... LB DERRICK BALLARD (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 4 tackles last week and has 9 on the season. Has also forced a fumble and returned a fumble 95 yards for a TD. Played in two games against the Galaxy in 2005 and recorded 7 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble... LB NICK HANNAH (Indianapolis Colts) recorded 3 tackles last week... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK registered 5 tackles last week and ranks third on the team with 11 this season. Made 7 tackles in two meetings with Frankfurt in 2005... CB JUSTIN PERKINS (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 5 tackles last week and added 2 special teams stops. Also returned a blocked field goal 72 yards for a touchdown to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors... CB ABRAHAM ELIMIMIAN (Chicago Bears) registered 3 tackles last week and broke up 2 passes - both on third down... CB ART THOMAS (Miami Dolphins) made 5 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week... S ATARI BIGBY (Green Bay Packers) led the Admirals with 7 tackles last week and leads the club with 14 through two games... S COREY PEOPLES (Philadelphia Eagles) ranks second on Amsterdam's defense with 13 tackles after adding 6 stops last week ... K RYAN KILLEEN (Seattle Seahawks) converted field goals from 44 and 40 yards in Cologne. Has yet to miss a kick this season (2/2 FG, 5/5 PAT) and has scored 11 points... P GLENN PAKULAK (Oakland Raiders) leads NFL Europe with an average of 42.0 yards on a league-low 5 punts.
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
TOTAL 47 23 455* 1 2
RB LARRY CROOM (Chicago Bears), 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
TOTAL 24 116 1 1 5 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
TOTAL 11* 236* 2*
* Leads NFL Europe
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (1-1)
Head Coach: Rick Lantz (17-5 in
NFLEL, plus 1-1 in World Bowl)
Colours: Black, green and gold
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Don Eck (3rd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Charles âYogi' Jones (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 39-33
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 0-22 vs. Rhein (3/25/06)
OFFENSE: 16.5 pts/game; 288 yds/game (rank 5); 87 rush yds/game (rank 5); 201 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Passing: Lang Campbell, 295 yds
Rushing: Marty Johnson, 96 yds
Receiving: Lance Moore, 11 rec, 139 yds
DEFENSE: 25.5 pts/game; 343 yds/game (rank 4); 84.5 rush yds/game (rank 1); 258.5 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Andre Torrey, 1.0
Interceptions: Anthony Floyd, Robert Redd, 1
- THIS WEEK: at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS -
Head coach RICK LANTZ insists his team will make much-needed improvements ahead of a trip to Hamburg. Following last week's shut-out loss to Rhein, he says: "Obviously, we didn't play well and we did some things that were uncharacteristic of this team. But one game is not indicative of how this season is going to be."... QB LANG CAMPBELL (Cleveland Browns) completed 14 of 26 passes last weekend for 156 yards and 2 interceptions. Ranks second in NFLEL in passing yardage (see table) and has compiled a rating of 64.2... QB B.J. SYMONS (Chicago Bears) did not play last week but has completed 6 of 13 passes for 88 yards and 2 scores in Thunder uniform this term... QB BRIAN WROBEL (Green Bay Packers) saw his first action of the season last week, completing 4 of 13 attempts for 40 yards with 1 interception... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS rushed for 13 yards on 5 carries last week and ranks xxxx in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table). Played two games against Hamburg last year and gained 72 yards on 20 carries... RB MARTY JOHNSON led the Thunder with 9 carries for 38 yards last week and ranks xxxx in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table)... WR LANCE MOORE (New Orleans Saints) caught a team-high 6 passes for 95 yards last week and ranks joint-first in NFLEL in receptions (see table)... WR KERON HENRY (San Diego Chargers) caught 1 pass for 11 yards last week and has 4 for 59 on the season... WR RICH MUSINSKI (New England Patriots) caught 2 passes for 8 yards last week. Has reeled in 6 receptions for 79 yards and 1 TD this season... WR C.J. JONES caught 2 passes for 18 yards last week and ran back 1 kickoff for 19 yards... TE JASON RANDALL (Atlanta Falcons) has 4 receptions for 49 yards in 2006 after adding a 23-yard catch last week... TE BEN MOA caught his first 3 passes of the season last week for 36 yards... DE ELTON PATTERSON (Jacksonville Jaguars) played in eight regular season games for the Jaguars in 2004, recording 4 tackles and 1 sack. Made his first 2 tackles of the 2006 campaign last week... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR took his season tackle total to 6 after adding 5 stops last weekend.
Played in one game against Hamburg in 2005 and recorded 2 tackles and 1 sack... DT JASON DAVIS (Houston Texans) recorded 3 stops and forced a fumble last weekend... LB ANDRE TORREY (Houston Texans) ranks second on the team with 15 tackles after adding 6 last week. Has also recorded 1 sack... LB JERMAINE TAYLOR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 447 tackles during college career at Division III school Bridgewater. Leads Berlin with 18 stops through two games after adding a team-high 15 last week... Free agent LB QUENTIN SWAIN registered 7 tackles vs. Rhein and has 8 on the season... CB ROBERT REDD (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 2 tackles and knocked down a pass last week. Also ran back a kickoff 45 yards. Lost a fumble on another KO return as he gained 87 yards on 4 runbacks. Played in one game against Hamburg in 2005 and caught 6 passes for 54 yards and 1 touchdown... CB DUVOL THOMPSON (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 4 tackles and knocked down 1 pass last week... CB ANTWAUN ROGERS (Denver Broncos) ranks third on Berlin's defense with 8 tackles after adding 4 stops last week... S ANTHONY FLOYD (Houston Texans) registered 6 tackles, 1 pass defense and 1 forced fumble last week... S JAMAAL BRIMMER (New York Giants) made his first 4 tackles of the season against the Fire... German S OLIVER FLEMMING made 2 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered the loose football against the Fire... K XAVIER BEITIA (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has scored 9 points this season but did not attempt a kick last weekend... P BRIAN SIMNJANOVSKI (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) ranks sixth among NFLEL punters with a net average of 26.3. His gross average of 41.0 on 7 kicks ranks third in the league.
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
TOTAL 52* 30* 295 1 2
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
TOTAL 22 73 1 3 19 0
WR LANCE MOORE (New Orleans Saints), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Ams 5 44 1
Wk 2: vs Rhe 6 95 0
TOTAL 11* 139 1
* Leads NFL Europe
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-1)
Head Coach: David Duggan (1-1 in NFLEL)
Colours: Black, red and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Milanovich (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Lyons (1st season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 11-11
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 15-20 vs. Amsterdam (3/26/06)
OFFENSE: 14.5 pts/game; 312 yds/game (rank 3); 159 rush yds/game (rank 2); 153 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Shane Boyd, 171 yds
Rushing: Fred Russell, 154 yds
Receiving: Jamall Broussard, 10 rec, 120 yds
DEFENSE: 15 pts/game; 273 yds/game (rank 3); 106 rush yds/game (rank 4); 167 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Philippe Gardent, Brandon Pinderhughes, 1.0
Interceptions: Thomas Houchin, 2
- THIS WEEK: vs RHEIN FIRE -
Centurions head coach DAVID DUGGAN rued the number of penalties his team committed last week (9 for 96 yards) but stopped short of blaming his players, saying: "Some of the penalties are from a lack of discipline but some are just from playing hard. We have to eliminate the foolish ones but a late hit where I guy is going hard and giving a great effort - that's not foolish."... QB KLIFF KINGSBURY (New York Jets) has completed 53.6 percent of his passes this season (see table) in two starts for the Centurions... QB SHANE BOYD (Pittsburgh Steelers) has completed 14 of 25 passes for 171 yards with 1 interception this season... RB FRED RUSSELL (St. Louis Rams) ranks second in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table) after gaining 69 yards on 19 carries last week... RB ALEX HAYNES (Carolina Panthers) led Cologne with 13 runs for 70 yards and 1 touchdown last week. Has 111 rushing yards on the season... WR JAMALL BROUSSARD (Cincinnati Bengals) ranks joint-third in NFL Europe with 10 receptions (see table). Has led Cologne in catches in each of the first two games this season... WR REGGIE NEWHOUSE caught 3 passes for 23 yards last week and has 4 for 36 on the season. Played two games against the Rhein Fire in 2004 and caught 5 passes for 41 yards... WR BRIAN BRATTON (Baltimore Ravens) caught 1 pass for 18 yards last week and has 3 for 31 and 1 touchdown on the season... German TE WERNER HIPPLER has played in a league record 89 games. Has caught 88 passes for 908 yards and 3 touchdowns during his career... TE MARIO JACKSON caught 1 passes for 4 yards last week and has 4 receptions for 20 yards this year... DE ALAIN KASHAMA (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 1 tackle last week and has 2 on the season... DE THOMAS HOUCHIN recorded his second interception of the season and added 1 tackle last week before suffering a knee injury... DT ARRION DIXON (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 3 tackles and recovered a fumble in last week's loss to Amsterdam. Has made 7 stops this season... DT EDDIE FREEMAN (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 4 tackles last week and
has made 7 on the season... LB DAVID BERGERON (Carolina Panthers) notched 4 tackles last week and has 5 this season with 1 pass broken up... LB JONATHAN POLLARD (San Diego Chargers) made 1 tackle and forced a fumble last week... French LB PHILIPPE GARDENT leads the Centurions with 18 tackles after adding 6 and 1 sack against Amsterdam. Played in two games against the Fire in 2005 and recorded 5 stops... CB LANCE FRAZIER (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 3 tackles and knocked down 1 pass in Week Two. Has made 6 tackles this season... CB MARK ESTELLE (Houston Texans) recorded 1 tackle and knocked down 4 passes last week. Leads the Centurions with 5 passes defended this season... S RAYMOND VENTRONE (New England Patriots) jointly led Cologne with 6 tackles last weekend and has registered 10 this season to rank second on the Centurions defense... S KEVIN CURTIS (Houston Texans) made 5 tackles and knocked down 1 pass in last week's loss to Amsterdam. Has season figures of 10 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 special teams stops... K TIM DUNCAN (Oakland Raiders) played in six games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2003, converting 6 of 10 field goals with a long of 53 yards. Has missed 5 of his 7 field goal attempts in NFL Europe this season, including efforts from 24, 37, 44 and 46 yards last week, with the longest of those efforts being blocked and returned for a touchdown. Has a long of 46 on the season and has scored 9 points... P GABE LINDSTROM (Seattle Seahawks) has averaged 38.3 yards per kick on his league-high 9 punts this season.
QB KLIFF KINGSBURY (New York Jets), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Ham 16 9 75 1 1
Wk 2: vs Ams 12 6 70 0 0
TOTAL 28 15 145 1 1
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
TOTAL 41 154 0 4 49 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
TOTAL 10 120 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-1)
Head Coach: Mike Jones (11-11) 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: 69-63
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 31-14 vs Hamburg (3/25/06)
OFFENSE: 18.5 pts/game; 321 yds/game (rank 2); 165 rush yds/game (rank 1); 156 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Jeff Otis, 153 yds
Rushing: Roger Robinson, 253 yds
Receiving: Walter Young, 8 rec, 83 yards
DEFENSE: 12 pts/game; 257.5 yds/game (rank 2); 98 rush yds/game (rank 3); 159.5 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Jerome Nichols, 2.0
Interceptions: None
- THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS -
Head coach MIKE JONES has seen his team jump from sixth to second in the offensive rankings after last week's victory against Hamburg, but knows that teams will be out to halt their progress. "Last week we had the mix of running and passing that I like. We came out with some quick throws and there was a big improvement in our passing game. Establishing the passing game helped us in our running game, but we know teams will come out and try to make us one-dimensional."... QB JEFF OTIS (Arizona Cardinals) has started both games so far this season, splitting time under center (see table) and compiling a passer rating of 110.6.... QB CRAIG OCHS (Buffalo Bills) saw his first playing time of the season last week, completing 12 of 15 passes for 125 yards, with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions for a 123.6 rating... The passer ratings of both Ochs and Otis are higher than the NFLEL leader but neither have attempted enough passes (14 per game required) to qualify... QB BRYSON SPINNER (San Francisco 49ers) completed 4 of 14 passes for 34 yards in Week 1 but did not see action last week... RB ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona Cardinals) is only the second back in NFLEL history to post 100-yard games in first two weeks of the season (Lawrence Phillips, Barcelona, 1999). Another 100-yard game would match Phillips' all-time record of three 100-yard games to start the season. Leads the NFLEL by 99 yards from his closest rival (see table). Held on to the ball after fumbling 3 times in Week 1, losing two... RB J.R. NIKLOS carried 6 times for 10 yards last week and caught 2 passes for 26 yards. Gained 52 yards on 7 carries with 1 TD in this game last year... WR AARON HOSACK (Minnesota Vikings) caught 5 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown last week, his fifth Galaxy career TD... WR ADAM HERZING (Pittsburgh Steelers) ran back two kickoffs for 52 yards last week. Ranks second in NFLEL in both kickoff return average (26.0) and punt return average (7.7). Didn't catch a pass last week... WR WALTER YOUNG (Pittsburgh Steelers) is the Galaxy's leading receiver after a big game last week (see table). He also had an 11-yard run... TE KEITH WILLIS (Seattle
Seahawks) had 2 catches for 43 yards last week... TE SEAN McHUGH (Detroit Lions) had 2 catches for 15 yards and 1 TD last week... DT JEROME NICHOLS (Green Bay Packers) leads the team with the 2 sacks he posted in Week 1... DE JUSTIN BROWN (Indianapolis Colts) has 1 sack this season and posted 2 tackles last week... German DE ULRICH WINKLER recorded 2 tackles last week... LB MATT SINCLAIR (Miami Dolphins) recorded 6 tackles in Week 2... LB TRAVIS HARRIS posted 7 tackles last week and leads the team with 13... LB MATT FARRIOR (Pittsburgh Steelers) made 5 tackles last week... CB LENNY WILLIAMS (Dallas Cowboys) made 4 tackles last week and broke up 3 passes... CB BILL ALFORD has posted 6 tackles in each game this season... LB JARED NEWBERRY (Tennessee Titans) was joint team leader with 7 tackles last week... K DAVID KIMBALL (Oakland Raiders) made a 40-yard FG last week and is 3 of 4 for the season.
QB JEFF OTIS (Arizona Cardinals), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Rhein 8 4 19 0 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 14 9 134 2 0
TOTAL 22 13 153 2 0
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
TOTAL 49 253* 1 4 26 0
WR WALTER YOUNG (Pittsburgh Stelers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Rhein 1 4 0
Wk 2: vs Ham 7 79 1
TOTAL 8 83 0
* Leads NFL Europe
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-2)
Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (66-66 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: 5-7
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 14-31 at Frankfurt (3/25/06)
OFFENSE: 12 pts/game; 247 yds/game (rank 6); 94 rush yds/game (rank 4); 153 pass yds/game (rank 5=)
Passing: Brock Berlin, 251 yds
Rushing: Mike Jemison, 122 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready 10 rec, 109 yards
DEFENSE: 22.5 pts/game; 354 yds/game (rank 5); 175 rush yds/game (rank 6); 179 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Keyonta Marshall, Rayshun Reed, 1
Interceptions: Shawn Mayer, Vontez Duff, 1
- THIS WEEK: vs BERLIN THUNDER -
Veteran head coach JACK BICKNELL sees the Sea Devils facing an 0-2 start for the second year running but says: "If you are 0-2 you are in a hole and we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we have good kids and I like our team. They are not going to back off."... QB BROCK BERLIN (Miami Dolphins) has started both games this season (see table)... QB JAMES KILIAN (Kansas City Chiefs) has seen action in both games this season, completing 5 of 8 passes for 55 yards last week and rushing for 19 yards on 2 attempts... RB MIKE JEMISON (Pittsburgh Steelers) leads the team in rushing and ranks second in receptions (see table)... RB JIMMY DIXON (Seattle Seahawks) gained 25 yards on 6 carries and scored a touchdown last week. He also caught 2 passes for 14 yards... English WR SCOTT McCREADY became the third player in NFLEL history to top 150 receptions last week (see table). His 151 career receptions rank first among national players and is tied for second all-time (Demetrius Davis, Barcelona 1991-96).... His 1,702 receiving yards rank first among nationals and third overall. Needs 54 more yards to surpass Davis (1,755 yards) for second overall... WR RICKY BRYANT caught a TD pass in each of the first four games last season but last week's 6-yard catch is his only reception of the season so far ... WR RICHARD SMITH (Washington Redskins) has TDs in each of the first two games after catching 2 passes for 13 yards and a score last week ... TE WESLEY DUKE (Denver Broncos) caught his first 2 passes of the season, for 10 yards, last week... WR JOVAN WITHERSPOON (NY Jets) had 2 receptions for 9 yards last week... Norwegian DE ANDERS AKERSTROM has 3 tackles this season... DE SCOTT SCHARFF (San Francisco 49ers) posted 5 tackles last week... DT KEYONTA MARSHALL (Philadelphia Eagles) posted 2 tackles last week and has one of the team's 2 sacks this season... LB KRIS GRIFFIN (Kansas City Chiefs) posted 4 tackles last week... LB BYRON HARDMON has made
8 tackles in the first two games... English LB ADEN DURDE made 3 tackles last week and has 9 for the season, ranking third on the team... LB SCOTT GENORD leads the team with 11 tackles after 6 last week ... CB ERIC HILL (Indianapolis Colts) made 3 tackles last week... S SHAWN MAYER (Cleveland Browns) earned All-NFLEL honors with Hamburg in 2005. Made 3 tackles last week... S JASON SHIVERS (NY Giants) led the team with 7 tackles last week... CB WILLIE AMOS posted 5 tackles last week... German S CLAUDIUS OSEI recorded 4 tackles last week and has 9 this season... K TYLER JONES (Washington Redskins) converted 2 PATs last week.... P ADAM ANDERSON (Detroit Lions) averaged 42.5 yards on 6 punts last week and ranks second in NFLEL with 42.0 average.
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
TOTAL 52 26 251 2 3
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
TOTAL 30 122 0 7 62 0
WR SCOTT McCREADY, GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Col 2 14 0
Wk 2: at Fra 8 95 0
TOTAL 10 109 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (1-1)
Head Coach: Jim Tomsula (2-0 in NFLEL)
Colours: Burgundy, black and white
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Steve Logan (1st season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Adrian White (3rd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 60-52
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 22-0 at Berlin (3/25/06)
OFFENSE: 16 pts/game; 302 yds/game (rank 4); 110 rush yds/game (rank 3); 192 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Drew Henson, 229 yds
Rushing: Fredrick Jackson, 111 yds
Receiving: Fredrick Jackson, 8 rec, 96 yds
DEFENSE: 3 pts/game; 207 yds/game (rank 1); 93 rush yds/game (rank 2); 114 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Mitch Meeuwsen, Derrick Strong, Zach Ville, 1.0
Interceptions: Therrian Fontenot, 2
- THIS WEEK: at COLOGNE CENTURIONS -
Fire head coach JIM TOMSULA was delighted following last week's shut-out victory in Berlin, stating: "Any win is a hard win but to win against the Berlin Thunder, I completely understand how hard that is."... QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys) leads NFL Europe quarterbacks with a rating of 91.3 (see table). Also tops all NFLEL passers with a 62.9 completion percentage... QB TIMMY CHANG (Philadelphia Eagles) completed 7 of 15 passes for 71 yards last week and has thrown for 130 yards from 13 completions on the season... RB JACQUE LEWIS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) rushed for 41 yards and a score on 11 carries last week and ranks second on the team with 97 yards on the season... RB FREDRICK JACKSON (Buffalo Bills) leads the Fire in rushing and receiving (see table) after gaining 119 total yards in last week's defeat of Berlin. Ranks sixth in NFLEL in rushing and fifth in receiving yards... French FB LAURENT MARCELINE made his second start of the season last week and caught 4 passes for 32 yards... WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers) caught a team-high 6 passes for 68 yards last week and has 7 for 84 on the season. Has also thrown a 45-yard TD pass... WR ZURIEL SMITH (New England Patriots) caught 2 passes for 14 yards and a touchdown last week. Also returned 3 punts for 24 yards. Has 4 catches for 34 yards on the season... WR KENDRICK STARLING (Houston Texans) caught 2 passes for 16 yards last week... Mexican WR JUAN WONG has 2 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown this season... TE ANDY STOKES caught 3 passes for 30 yards last week and has 4 for 35 in 2006... TE AARON HALTERMAN (Houston Texans) reeled in 3 receptions for 26 yards in Berlin. Has 5 catches for 41 yards in 2006... DE DERRICK STRONG recorded 2 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble last week. In last meeting with the Centurions in 2005, recorded 4 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble... DE BROOK MILLER (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 5 tackles last week, giving him 6 on the season... DT WALTER CURRY (Jacksonville Jaguars) registered 2 tackles last week, one of which halted a Berlin fake punt attempt short of a first down... DT ZACH VILLE (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 4 tackles
And 1 sack last week. Has 6 tackles on the season and has also knocked down 1 pass... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON is in his third season with the Rhein Fire. Has recorded 9 tackles this year after adding 6 and 1 pass broken up last week. Made 4 tackles in two meetings with the Centurions in 2005... LB TYSON SMITH (New York Giants) ranks second on the Fire defense with 10 tackles after registering 4 in Week 2... LB GUY TUELL made 2 tackles last week and recovered a special teams fumble... English LB SHAUN SMITH made 1 special teams tackle last week and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Fire... LB STEPHEN LARSEN (Chicago Bears) recorded 3 tackles last week... CB ANTWAIN SPANN (New England Patriots) recorded 5 tackles, 1 interception and 2 passes defended last week... CB THERRIAN FONTENOT (Green Bay Packers) earned NFLEL Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording 3 tackles, 2 interceptions (one in his own end zone) and 3 passes defended last week... CB RONYELL WHITAKER posted 1 tackle and 2 special teams tackles in Week 2... German S RICHARD YANCY is in his seventh season in NFL Europe, fifth with the Fire. Leads the team with 13 tackles after adding a club-leading 7 in Berlin. Has also knocked down 2 passes. Was outstanding in two games against the Centurions in 2005, recording 12 tackles, 1 pass defense and 1 forced fumble... S SIDDEEQ SHABAZZ (Miami Dolphins) recorded 1 tackle in Week 2 and has 6 in 2006... S MITCH MEEUWSEN (San Diego Chargers) registered 3 tackles and 1 sack last week... Swedish K OLA KIMRIN (Miami Dolphins) is in his fourth NFLEL season (Frankfurt 2001-02, Cologne 2004). Connected on all 3 FG attempts last week and leads NFLEL kickers with 14 points (4/7 FG, 2/2 PAT). Has scored 141 career points in NFL Europe... P TRAVIS DORSCH (New York Giants), the 2005 All-NFLEL selection, has averaged 37.0 yards on 8 punts this season.
QB DREW HENSON (Dallas Cowboys), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Fra 9 5 58 0 0
Wk 2: at Ber 24 17 171 1 0
TOTAL 35 22 229 1 0
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
TOTAL 28 111 0 8 96 0
WR CHRIS SAMP (Carolina Panthers), GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Fra 1 16 0
Wk 2: at Ber 6 68 0
TOTAL 7 84 0
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 11
BERLIN THUNDER (1-1) at
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (0-2)
AOL Arena, Hamburg, Saturday April 1, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Berlin leads 2-0
At Hamburg: Berlin leads 1-0
At Berlin: Berlin leads 1-0
Streak: Berlin 2
Last season: Hamburg 13 at Berlin 15; Berlin 27 at Hamburg 17
TELEVISION
US: DELAY/ NFL Network (8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday April 1)
Philadelphia Eagles fullback JON RITCHIE joins play-by-play announcer BOB WISCHUSEN to call the action from Hamburg.
COACHES
RICK LANTZ needs one more win to break a tie for eighth place on the all-time victories chart, having drawn level with Dick Curl (Frankfurt 1998-2000) with 17 in Week 1. Has never lost two regular season games in a row during his NFLEL career, which began in 2004... JACK BICKNELL is in his 14th season in NFL Europe and will be keen to add to his league-leading regular season victory total of 66. Will be out to halt another slow start. Bicknell-coached teams have started 0-2 in four of the last five seasons. The only one of those teams to have a win after two weeks was the 2003 Barcelona Dragons.
GAME NOTES
The Sea Devils will be out to avoid starting 0-3 for the first time in their two-year history when they welcome the Thunder to AOL Arena... Hamburg opened the 2005 campaign with two straight losses before winning five of their last eight to finish at .500... Berlin has won 17 of its last 22 games under head coach Rick Lantz but is coming off its first shut-out loss since Week 8 of the 1999 campaign... The game features NFL Europe's fifth and sixth-ranked offenses. Berlin rates fifth with an average of 288 yards per game, while Hamburg ranks sixth, averaging just 247 yards of offense per outing... Both teams have also struggled in the turnover ratio department through the opening two games of the year. Berlin has a -1 differential (5 takeaways, 6 giveaways) while Hamburg ranks fifth in NFLEL with a -3 differential (2 takeaways, 5 giveaways)... Despite ranking fifth in total offense, Berlin leads NFL Europe with 8 plays covering more than 20 yards (8 passes, 0 runs). Hamburg ranks sixth in that category with 2 20+ yard plays, both passes... Berlin will look to improve NFL Europe's fifth-ranked rushing attack, averaging 87 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry... Hamburg's run defense has allowed a league-high 4.7 yards per carry in 2006... Hamburg quarterbacks have completed a league-low 46.3 percent of their passes... Berlin is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 60.9 percent of their attempts - the second-highest figure in NFLEL ahead of Hamburg, which is allowing opponents a 64.8 completion percentage... Both clubs are averaging 4.3 yards per offensive play this season... Berlin has fumbled a league-high 5 times this year, losing 3... The Sea Devils are one of just two teams yet to concede a sack this season... Sea Devils quarterbacks have thrown a league-high 4 interceptions in two games... Berlin has NFL Europe's leading run defense, allowing 84.5 yards per game... The Thunder has won both previous meetings between the two teams. K KEVIN MILLER (Seattle Seahawks) decided the first contest with a 37-yard fourth quarter field goal to lift Berlin to a 15-13 win. In the second meeting, QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) threw for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Thunder recorded a 27-17 victory.
FRANKFURT GALAXY (1-1) at
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1-1)
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Saturday April 1, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads 12-10 (Frankfurt leads 1-0 in World Bowls)
At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 8-3
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 9-2
Streak: Amsterdam 1
Last Season: Amsterdam 14 at Frankfurt 23; Frankfurt 10 at Amsterdam 48
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/ NFL Network (12 noon ET, Saturday April 1)
British play-by-play announcer NICK HALLING is joined by Danish kicker MORTEN ANDERSEN, who scored a then-NFL record 2,358 points with New Orleans, Atlanta, New York Giants, Kansas City and Minnesota.
COACHES
MIKE JONES led Frankfurt to a World Bowl berth in 2004. Served as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff from 1995-2000 and again in 2002-2003, winning World Bowls in 1998 and 2000. Played wide receiver in the NFL for the Minnesota (1983-1985) and New Orleans (1986-1987 and 1989). BART ANDRUS is the reigning NFL Europe League Coach of the Year. Is in his sixth season in charge of the Admirals. Won a World Bowl ring as a member of the Rhein Fire coaching staff in 2000. Served as quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans in 1999, helping Steve McNair lead the club to a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV.
GAME NOTES
The Frankfurt Galaxy will be hoping their second-ranked defense can slow an Admirals attack rated the best in NFL Europe through the opening two rounds of action... The Admirals lead NFL Europe in points scored (49), yards per game (324.5), yards per offensive play (6.6), passing yards per game (240) and yards per pass completion (17.31)... The Galaxy defense is allowing 257.5 yards per game... Amsterdam's attack leans towards the pass more than any other team in NFL Europe. The Admirals have thrown on 74 percent of their offensive plays this season... Amsterdam leads NFL Europe in total offense despite ranking sixth in average time of possession (22:38)... Frankfurt boasts NFL Europe's top-ranked rushing attack, averaging 115 yards per game and 5.0 yards per game... Galaxy quarterbacks have completed a league-high 56.9 percent of their passes... The series has traditionally thrown up close encounters. Of the 22 meetings between the two clubs since 1995, 12 have been decided by one score or less (8 points)... Frankfurt is one of only two teams not to give up a sack this season... The Galaxy defense jointly leads NFL Europe with 3 quarterback sacks... Amsterdam has scored as many touchdowns on returns and recoveries (3) as it has on offense (3)... The Admirals have scored a league-high 6 touchdowns... Amsterdam has lost a league-high 4 fumbles, while Frankfurt's defense is yet to force or recover a fumble this term... Amsterdam ranks sixth in turnover ratio with a -6 differential (1 takeaway, 7 giveaways)... Frankfurt is one of only two teams to run the football more than throw it this season. The Galaxy have called rushing plays 51.4 percent of the time... Frankfurt won the opening meeting between the teams in 2005 as RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers) rushed for 161 yards and 1 touchdown. In the return meeting, Amsterdam racked up a league record-tying 331 yards en route to a 48-10 victory.
A
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / WEEK TWO RECAP NFL Europe 2006, Week 3 - Page 12
RHEIN FIRE (2-0) at
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (1-1)
RheinEnergieStadion, Sunday, March 26, 4:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Series tied 2-2
At Cologne: Series tied 1-1
At Rhein: Series tied 1-1
Streak: Rhein 1
Last season: Cologne 23 at Rhein 10; Rhein 28 at Cologne 16
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/NFL Network (LIVE/10:00 a.m. ET)
GERMANY/NETHERLANDS: LIVE/NASN EUROPE (4:00 p.m. CET)
Play-by-play announcer ARI WOLFE is joined by former Barcelona Dragons and Minnesota Vikings quarterback JAY WALKER.
COACHES
JIM TOMSULA can become the fifth first-year coach in NFLEL history to begin a career with three straight wins with a victory this week. Spent the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder and won a World Bowl ring in 2004. Served as defensive line coach at the Scottish Claymores from 1999-2003 and made his NFLEL coaching debut with the England Monarchs in 1998... DAVID DUGGAN spent the past two years as Cologne's defensive coordinator. His unit led NFL Europe in total defense in each of the last two seasons. Served as defensive coordinator of Berlin from 2001 to 2003, during which time he won two World Bowl rings.
GAME NOTES
Local rivals will do battle for The Rhein Cup, knowing the silverware has never been lifted by the home team with the Fire winning in Cologne and the Centurions winning in Düsseldorf last year... With the all-time series tied, the winner of this week's meeting will edge ahead... The Fire go into the contest looking to open a season 3-0 for the first time since 1998, when they opened 6-0 and went on to win World Bowl... The Fire heads into the RheinEnergieStadion boasting the league's leading defense... Rhein leads the league in fewest points conceded (6), fewest yards allowed (207 per game), touchdowns allowed (0) and turnovers (8)... They have also held opponents to a league-low 3.7 yards per offensive play... Cologne has given up a league-high 4 quarterback sacks this season... Rhein jointly leads the league with 3 sacks... Cologne has run the football a league-high 79 times this season, averaging 4 yards per carry to rank third in NFLEL... The Centurions are one of only two teams to call more running than passing plays this season. They have rushed the ball on 51 percent of their offensive plays this year... Cologne will look to improve their third down efficiency this week as their 29.6 percent success rate (8 of 27) ranks sixth in the league... Cologne's is the only offense yet to fumble the football this season... Rhein quarterbacks have completed 56.3 percent of their passes this season to rank second in NFL Europe... Cologne's defense is allowing opposing passers to complete a league-low 36.8 percent of their passes... The Fire has averaged a league-low 3.4 yards per carry this term... Cologne has picked up 40 first downs this season to jointly lead the league along with Berlin... Rhein has won its last four games dating back to Week 9 of the 2005 campaign... The Centurions won the first meeting between the teams in 2005 as QB KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo Bills) rushed for a pair of second half touchdowns to lead Cologne to a 23-10 victory... In the return leg, the Fire knocked the Centurions out of World Bowl contention with a 28-16 Week 9 victory in Cologne. RB JOE SMITH (Tennessee Titans) rushed for 111 yards and QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers) threw 3 touchdown passes to power the visitors to victory.
- WEEK TWO RECAP -
Rhein Fire 22, Berlin Thunder 0
(Olympic Stadium, Berlin. Attendance: 13,105)
Drew Henson (Rhe) 171 passing yards, 1 TD
Fredrick Jackson (Rhe) 119 total yards of offense
Therrian Fontenot (Rhe) 3 tackles, 2 interceptions
Lance Moore (Ber) 6 receptions, 95 yards
Hamburg Sea Devils 14, Frankfurt Galaxy 31
(Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Attendance: 26,713)
Roger Robinson (Fra) 150 rushing yards, 1 TD
Jeff Otis (Fra) 134 passing yards, 2 TDs
Craig Ochs (Fra) 125 passing yards, 1 TD
Scott McCready (Ham) 8 receptions, 95 yards
Amsterdam Admirals 20, Cologne Centurions 15
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 17,251)
Gibran Hamdan (Ams) 209 passing yards, 1 TD
Skyler Fulton (Ams) 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD
Larry Croom (Ams) 82 rushing yards
Alex Haynes (Col) 70 rushing yards, 1 TD
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National Football League Europa Stories from March 28, 2006
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