Three-way tie at top of standings as 2005 season heads for exciting finish
Published on May 10, 2005 under National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
WITH four weeks of the 2005 regular season remaining, three teams are tied at the top of the standings while another is just one game back in the race to reach Yello Strom World Bowl XIII.
It means the three contests taking place this weekend will be vitally important to those harboring dreams of reaching the NFL Europe League's championship game in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Saturday June 11.
The Week 7 action begins on Saturday May 14 with the Berlin Thunder (4-2) playing host to a Rhein Fire (1-5) team buoyed by recording its first win of the season last weekend.
The stakes will be high when the Amsterdam Admirals (4-2) travel to take on a Hamburg Sea Devils (3-3) club just one game back in the standings. The Sea Devils will be out to remain unbeaten at home in a bid to improve their World Bowl chances.
Saturday's slate of games concludes with the Cologne Centurions (4-2) visiting the Frankfurt Galaxy (2-4) at Commerzbank Arena, where the Galaxy have picked up their two wins this season.
The action gets underway in Berlin, Germany, where the Thunder will aim to notch a record-setting 10th home win in a row at Olympic Stadium, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Amsterdam Admirals.
In order to do so, the Thunder will have to rebound from a six-point loss in Cologne last week. Head coach RICK LANTZ expects a tense month ahead, saying: "This is a very balanced league. I told the team at the start of the season that every game was going to be tough and would come down to the wire.
"This is a race that is going down to the end. We have three teams tied with the same record and there is a long way to go. There is a lot left to happen."
Facing the Thunder is a Fire team that avoided a league record-tying 10th loss in a row (Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, 1991) last week by defeating Hamburg.
Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "It feels good to smile. That was our first win in Düsseldorf since 2002, so it was a very big day. We are now going to go to work as usual and get ready for the next one."
An hour after the Thunder-Fire clash kicks off, the Admirals will take their league-leading rushing attack to Hamburg to face the Sea Devils.
Following last week's thrashing of Frankfurt, Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "The only thing we can control with regard to World Bowl is how we play. The big thing about this win is that it means we are still flying the plane."
Despite last week's loss to the Fire, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL knows his team has a shot at reaching World Bowl but he is pushing them to win the remainder of their regular season games.
He says: "You can't get to World Bowl with less than seven wins in my experience, which means we have to win out. I know this team can do that. When you start 0-2 like we did, you put yourselves in a tough spot but these guys won't quit and if we run the table we'll go to the World Bowl. That's not impossible and I like what I see from this team."
PETER VAAS has his Centurions in perfect position to make a run at World Bowl XIII but admits the run-in is going to be far from easy, saying: "Every game in this league is extremely competitive. Just ask Hamburg who got beat by a winless team last week. You can't overstate how tight all the teams are. They are all tough."
Facing Cologne on Saturday is a Galaxy club that fell to 2-4 with a heavy loss in Amsterdam last week.
Head coach MIKE JONES says: "I felt we cut ourselves and opened up our own wounds. It is not over. We can rebound and move on but it is going to take a great effort. We have to find a way to dig ourselves out of the hole we put ourselves in."
WEEK SEVEN SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MAY 14
Rhein Fire at Berlin Thunder
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 6:00 p.m.
Amsterdam Admirals at Hamburg Sea Devils
AOL Arena, Hamburg, 7:00 p.m.
Cologne Centurions at Frankfurt Galaxy
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, 7:00 p.m.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK â WEEK 6
OFFENSIVE · JONATHAN SMITH &
JARRETT PAYTON · RB, Amsterdam
Smith 131 rushing yards, Payton 97 rushing yards 2 TD
DEFENSIVE · RICH SCANLON · LB, Berlin
9 tackles, 2 sacks for -13 yards
SPECIAL TEAMS · ALLAN AMUNDSON · CB, Hamburg
Returned 5 kickoffs for 139 yards, 71 long
NATIONAL · SANDINO OCTOBRE · RB, Amsterdam
Rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries, 38 long
New-look Admirals on pace to break league rushing record
THE Amsterdam Admirals have traditionally been a team that likes to throw the football, especially under head coach BART ANDRUS, but this season they boast an extremely strong ground attack.
The league-leading Admirals have rushed for 1,066 yards in six games and are on pace to smash the single-season rushing record set by the Rhein Fire in 1999. At their current rate, Amsterdam would gain 1,777 rushing yards, which would surpass the record of 1,686.
Since Andrus became head coach in 2001, the Admirals have never finished higher than fifth in rushing yards and have only once finished lower than second in passing yards. In the club's previous 10 seasons, they have never ranked higher than second in rushing yards (1998).
During last week's defeat of the Frankfurt Galaxy, the Admirals' rushing attack reached a new high as the club gained a league record-tying 331 yards on the ground, matching the effort of the Galaxy against the Barcelona Dragons on April 20, 2002.
Here are some Admirals rushing highlights:
· The Admirals have 361 more rushing yards (1,066) than the next-best team (Berlin, 705)
· JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs) leads NFL Europe with 486 rushing yards
· JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) leads NFL Europe with 5 rushing touchdowns and an average of 6.6 yards per carry
· Club bidding to have two of the league's top three rushers for the first time since KENNY BYNUM and DERRICK CLARK ranked second and third respectively for Rhein in 1999
· French running back SANDINO OCTOBRE set a national player record by gaining 94 rushing yards on 13 carries against Frankfurt
Andrus says: "We have a real potent running game. When you are able to run the football it is a big part of achieving success."
Payton adds: "We are clicking on all cylinders. Me and Jonathan Smith couldn't make plays without our great offensive line. I wouldn't want to be a defensive coordinator trying to come up with a scheme to stop both of us."
Amsterdam is also set to challenge the record combined yardage total of 4,169 set by the Scottish Claymores in 2003. The Admirals are on pace to gain 3,950 yards, which would be the second-best mark in NFLEL history.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 3
Fast start remains a key to success in NFL Europe League
GETTING off to a fast start each weekend is still proving to be a successful recipe for the NFL Europe League teams this season.
Of the 18 games played to date, 14 have been won by the team scoring the first touchdown of the contest. There have also been 16 occasions this season where one team leads the other at halftime. Those teams leading at the break have compiled an 11-5 record in 2005.
Those figures will not come as a surprise to the six NFLEL head coaches as 22 of 30 regular season games played in 2004 were won by the team scoring the first touchdown.
The league-leading Amsterdam Admirals have been the kings of the quick start in 2005, scoring the first touchdown in five of their six games played so far.
The Rhein Fire benefited from scoring the first touchdown of their game against the Hamburg Sea Devils last weekend by turning a 55-yard touchdown catch by fullback BRANDON MIREE (Denver Broncos) into a 24-19 win â their first victory since Week 6 of the 2004 season.
Discussing his team's game-opening touchdown, Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "It was a great play by Brandon. It really was the spark that everybody fed off. I know our defensive guys went wild when they saw that. It was a key spark in the ball game to get the emotions going for our players."
NFLEL FACTS: Touchdown Streak
By reeling in a 6-yard scoring pass during Amsterdam's 48-10 thrashing of Frankfurt, wide receiver RUVELL MARTIN maintained his streak of finding the end zone in every game this season. Martin has tied Eddie Brown (Sacramento, 1992) for third in the all-time record books with 6 consecutive games with at least 1 receiving touchdown. Carl Parker (Sacramento, 1991) ranks second (7), while Mario Bailey (Frankfurt 1999-2000) holds the record with 10 games in a row.
NFLEL FACTS: Run Trouble
Having given up a league record-tying 331 yards on the ground vs. Amsterdam last week, the Frankfurt Galaxy are on pace to concede 1,870 rushing yards this season. That mark would see them set an unwanted record, surpassing the 1,544 yards given up by the Barcelona Dragons in 2002.
Records up for grabs for home-loving Thunder and Sea Devils
WITH victories on home soil this weekend, the Berlin Thunder and Hamburg Sea Devils can write their names in the NFL Europe League history books.
The Thunder have won nine games in a row at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, tying the all-time mark set by the Amsterdam Admirals in 1995-96.
The last time the Thunder lost in front of their own fans was in Week 7 of the 2003 campaign, when they suffered a 23-20 reverse at the hands of the Barcelona Dragons on May 17.
Ahead of his club's Week 7 meeting with the Rhein Fire, Thunder general manager MICHAEL LANG says: "The nine home wins in a row are very important for the Berlin Thunder and the city of Berlin. It shows that we have fans who really are the 12th man and they support our team in the best way possible. It comes as no surprise, due to loyal fans and a good coaching staff, we are that strong at home."
If they can conjure up a victory over the league-leading Amsterdam Admirals at the AOL Arena on Saturday night, the Hamburg Sea Devils would become the first single expansion team to record wins in each of their opening three home games.
The 1992 Ohio Glory opened at home with a 1-2 record, while the 1999 Berlin Thunder and 2004 Cologne Centurions each posted 2-1 marks.
The Sea Devils beat the Rhein Fire 31-24 in their first home game of the season in Week 3 and followed that performance with a 23-6 defeat of the Cologne Centurions in Week 5.
In those two games, the Sea Devils averaged 17,546 fans, meaning they are on pace to achieve the highest first-season average of any new team since the NFL Europe League re-launched in 1995.
Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL paid tribute to the fans in Hamburg, saying: "It's been a long time since I've been in a stadium that was rocking for us. Usually I'm in stadiums where the people are making noise for the other team and making it hard on us."
NFLEL FACTS: Dutch Double
As well as chasing World Bowl glory in 2005, the Amsterdam Admirals are aiming to become just the second team in league history to end a season ranked first in overall offense and defense. The Admirals have NFL Europe's top-ranked offensive unit (395 yards per game) and also rate first in total defense, allowing 278.3 yards per contest. The only other team to top the offensive and defensive rankings in the same season was the 1998 Amsterdam Admirals, who missed World Bowl.
NEWS AND NOTES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 4
Fire avoids unwanted record with defeat of Sea Devils
BY defeating the Hamburg Sea Devils 24-19 on Saturday night, the Rhein Fire avoided becoming the second team in league history to record 10 straight losses (Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, 1991).
The victory was Rhein's first since Week 6 of the 2004 campaign and the first since returning to Düsseldorf, having spent the previous two campaigns playing in Gelsenkirchen.
Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "I am very proud of my players and I have congratulated them all. For most of them this is their first year in this league so it is their first win in this league. They played very hard and there were times when we had to overcome adversity, but we won with a total team effort.
"That was our first win in the stadium (LTU arena) and in Düsseldorf since 2002, so it was a very big day."
Denver Broncos-allocated fullback BRANDON MIREE, who caught 4 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, adds: "This team has shown some real character. It was great for the fans that we won. One thing I have noticed about Düsseldorf is how much the fans love the game. We have been tremendously well received by the fans here and I hope we can give them more to celebrate in the second half of the season."
Special teams success and good field position vital in NFLE
COACHES are always stressing the importance of special teams and that has especially been the case in 2005 as those succeeding in the kicking game and in the field position battle have fared well in the season's opening six weeks.
Field position is especially relevant as teams who have, on average, started their drives further up the field than their opponents have gone 15-3 this year.
The three league-leading clubs can point to special teams successes among the reasons for them being in World Bowl contention after six weeks of play.
The 4-2 Berlin Thunder lead NFL Europe in average yards per kickoff return (22.3) and have an average drive start position of their own 36.3-yard line (best in NFL Europe).
The Amsterdam Admirals and Cologne Centurions (both owners of 4-2 records) lead NFL Europe in field goal percentage (both teams have converted 11 of 13 kicks for a success rate of 84.6).
Admirals spreading the wealth on league-leading offensive unit
IN becoming the top-ranked offense in NFL Europe in 2005, the Amsterdam Admirals have leaned on many different players â in the passing and running game.
The Admirals top NFL Europe with an average of 395 yards per game and have scored a league-high 170 points in six contests en route to a 4-2 record.
In the opening six weeks of the season, the Admirals have seen a league-high 11 receivers catch passes and an NFL Europe-best four players score rushing touchdowns.
Those who have caught passes for the Admirals are wide receivers RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers), ATAVEUS CASH (New York Giants), JOHN BOOTH (Kansas City Chiefs), CARLOS PEREZ (Philadelphia Eagles) and Japan's NORIAKI KINOSHITA; tight ends TONY DONALD (Seattle Seahawks), MIKE GOMEZ (Buffalo Bills) and YOAN SCHNEE; and running backs JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs), JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) and SANDINO OCTOBRE.
Those scoring rushing touchdowns for Amsterdam this season are Payton (5), Smith (2) and quarterbacks KURT KITTNER (Chicago Bears) and GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks).
Three other teams have had 10 receivers catch passes this season (Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt), while the Galaxy have also had four players score rushing touchdowns. The Rhein Fire rank sixth in NFL Europe this season with eight receivers catching passes.
Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS says: "You can be more wide open on offense when you have the weapons and we certainly have the weapons to be successful this season.
"You do what you have to do to move the chains and we can do more things in the passing game because we are able to move the ball on the ground. It's a nice mix."
NFLEL FACTS: Away-day Blues
With all three home teams - Amsterdam Admirals, Cologne Centurions and Rhein Fire - emerging victorious in Week 6, it confirmed just how hard it has been to win on the road in 2005. Home teams now have a 14-4 record this season and no club has won more than one road game.
NFLEL FACTS: Winners Outscored
Despite sitting pretty in the NFL Europe League standings with a 4-2 record, the Cologne Centurions have been outscored by opponents this season. The Centurions have scored 123 points and conceded 124. Cologne's four wins have been by an average of 7.25 points per contest while their two losses have been by an average of 15 points.
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 5
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (4-2)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (21-25 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (2nd season)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Darryl Sims (2nd season)
ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 55-51
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 48-10 vs Frankfurt (5/8/05)
OFFENSE: 28.3 pts/game; 395 yds/game (rank 1); 177.7 yds rush/game (rank 1); 217.3 yds pass/game (rank 2)
Passing: Kurt Kittner, 771 yds
Rushing: Jonathan Smith, 486 yds
Receiving: Ruvell Martin 21 rec, 344 yds
DEFENSE: 20.8 pts/game; 278.3 yds/game (rank 1); 112.3 rush yds/game (rank 4); 166 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Sacks: Clint Mitchell 3.0
Interceptions: Norman Lejeune 3
· THIS WEEK: at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS ·
Head coach BART ANDRUS takes his team to Hamburg as the top placed team in the standings and ranked number one in both offense and defense. "This is an intelligent group of players," he says. "And they have character. They took responsibility when we lost at Frankfurt in Week 3 and have shown that they have learned. Once you have that accountability it is a lot easier to move forward.".... QB KURT KITTNER (Chicago Bears) made his second start last week and accounted for four touchdowns, passing for three and running for a 1-yard touchdown (see table)... RB JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs) leads the league in rushing yards, but had a three-game scoring streak ended last week (see table)... RB JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) ranks third in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table) and is tied for firstin rushing touchdowns... French RB SANDONO OCTOBRE rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries last week, the highest rushing total by a national player in NFLEL history, earning National Player of the Week honors... WR RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers) has scored a touchdown in every game this season (see table), including a 6-yarder last week ... WR JOHN BOOTH (Kansas City Chiefs) had 4 catches for 57 yards last week and has 12 receptions this season... WR ATAVEUS CASH (New York Giants) caught 3 passes for 27 yards last week, including a 4-yard TD, and ranks third on the team with 15 catches... TE MIKE GOMEZ (Buffalo Bills) had a team-high 6 catches for 51 yards with one TD last week and ranks second on the team with 18 catches... French TE YOAN SCHNEE has 3 catches this season.... Japanese WR NORIAKI KINOSHITA caught his second pass of the year last week... DE JOSH MALLARD (Indianapolis Colts) has 2 sacks this year... DE OMARI HAND (Jacksonville Jaguars) has 2 sacks this season... DE CLINT MITCHELL recorded his team-high third sack of the year last week, among 4 tackles... 3 tackles and has 26 this season... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK has recorded 12 tackles this year after 1 last week... CB JEFF SANCHEZ (Detroit Lions) had 2 tackles and a fumble
recovery last week... S SCOTT CONNOT (Kansas City Chiefs) had 2 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last week. He leads the club with 34 stops ... S RON ISRAEL (Pittsburgh Steelers) made 3 tackles last week for 27 this season... S NORMAN LEJEUNE (Tennessee Titans) is joint league leader after posting his third interception of the year last week... LB DERRICK BALLARD (Chicago Bears) had 4 tackles and his first sack of the year last weej... K CHRIS SNYDER (Houston Texans) ranks second among NFLEL kickers with 50 points, Made 2 of 3 FGs last week and is 10 of 14 for the season... P RYAN DUTTON (Seattle Seahawks) ranks second in the league with a 41.6-yard average.
QB KURT KITTNER (Chicago Bears), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: vs Rhein 8 4 46 0 0
Wk 2: at Frank 5 2 15 0 1
Wk 3: vs Berlin 10 6 65 0 1
Wk 4: at Col 12 9 158 1 0
Wk 5: at Ber 41 21 283 1 3
Wk 6: vs Fra 31 20 204 3 0
TOTAL 107 62 771 5 5
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
Wk 3: vs Berlin 15 92 1 1 14 0
Wk 4: at Col 9 30 1 2 21 0
Wk 5: at Ber 15 72 0 1 10 0
Wk 6: vs Fra 9 97 2 2 24 0
TOTAL 62 410 5* 10 117 0
* Ties NFLEL lead
RB JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Rhein 16 99 0 0 0 0
Wk 2: at Frank 7 12 0 1 4 0
Wk 3: vs Berlin 17 133 1 1 10 0
Wk 4: at Col 16 72 1 1 10 0
Wk 5: at Ber 12 39 1 1 10 0
Wk 6: vs Fra 19 131 0 2 19 0
TOTAL 87 486* 3 8 53 0
* Leads NFLEL
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
Wk 3: vs Berlin 4 73 1
Wk 4: at Col 3 92 1
Wk 5: at Ber 5 87 1
Wk 6: vs Fra 2 14 1
TOTAL 21 344 6*
* Leads NFLEL
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 6
BERLIN THUNDER (4-2)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (13-3 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: 35-31
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 17-23 at Cologne (5/8/05)
OFFENSE: 24.3 pts/game; 319.7 yds/game (rank 3); 117.5 rush yds/game (rank 2); 202.2 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Passing: Dave Ragone, 1,050 yds
Rushing: Cal Murray, 307 yds
Receiving: Michael Jennings 25 rec, 416 yds
DEFENSE: 19.7 pts/game; 304 yds/game (rank 3); 136.7 rush yds/game (rank 5); 167.3 pass yds/game (rank 2)
Sacks: Four Players, 2.0
Interceptions: Jermaine Mays, 3
· THIS WEEK: vs. RHEIN FIRE ·
Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ saw his team defeated for the second time this season when they fell to the Cologne Centurions in Week 6. He says of that loss: "Cologne earned the win. I felt we relaxed too much in the third quarter. Right when we could have put them away, we just didn't quite do it and they fought back."... QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) has started all six games and leads NFLEL in touchdown passes (see table). Has not thrown an interception in his last three starts... QB BRET ENGEMANN (Oakland Raiders) completed 5 of 11 passes for 48 yards last week and has hit on 10 of 20 attempts for 116 yards this season... QB CHRIS FINLEN (New Orleans Saints) did not attempt a pass last week... RB CAL MURRAY (San Diego Chargers) leads the team in rushing yards (see table) but has yet to score a rushing TD. Ranks sixth in NFL Europe in rushing yards... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS (New York Jets) jointly leads the league with 5 rushing touchdowns (see table)... FB BRIAN JOHNSON (San Francisco 49ers) caught 3 passes for 19 yards last week and has 9 for 77 yards on the season ... WR MICHAEL JENNINGS (New York Giants) caught 5 passes for 165 yards last week and scored on receptions covering 70 and 51 yards. Added 2 kickoff returns for 45 yards. Ranks second in NFL Europe with 25 receptions and third with 416 yards. Leads the league with 845 combined yards (416 receiving, 410 kickoff returns, 19 rushing)... WR AARON BOONE (Carolina Panthers) caught 3 passes for 47 yards last week and turned his only pass attempt of the game into a 51-yard TD completion to Jennings, giving him a passer rating of 158.3. Has 18 catches for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns this season... WR TERRENCE STUBBS (New York Jets) has 15 receptions for 149 yards after catching 2 passes for 8 yards last week... TE JOHN FRIESER (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught a 14-yard pass last week, taking his season total to 6 for 71 yards and a touchdown... Finnish TE KLAUS ALINEN has 4 catches for 11 yards this season... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack last week, taking his season total to 11 stops and a team-high 2 sacks... DE ISAAC HILTON (Carolina Panthers) recorded 4 tackles and his first 2 sacks of the season last weekend... LB
RICH SCANLON (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 9 tackles and 2 sacks against Cologne to be named NFL Europe's Defensive Player of the Week. Has led the Thunder in tackles in each of the opening six games of the year and leads the team with 56 tackles... LB JAMAL BROOKS (Cleveland Browns) recorded 2 tackles and knocked down a pass last week. Has 23 tackles to his name this season... LB MICHAEL BROWN (Atlanta Falcons) registered 5 tackles last week and has 25 on the year to rank third on Berlin's defense... CB MICHAEL HARDEN (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 3 tackles and 1 pass defense last weekend. Has 2 interceptions this season... CB WILLIE FORD (Indianapolis Colts) recorded 4 tackles last week and jointly leads the Thunder with 6 passes defended... CB JERMAINE MAYS (Indianapolis Colts) leads NFL Europe with 3 interceptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Jointly leads Berlin with 6 passes defended. Recorded 2 tackles last week and has 9 stops on the year... CB JAMES THORNTON ranks second on the Thunder defense with 26 tackles... S ADRIAN MAYES (Arizona Cardinals) recorded 7 tackles last week and ranks fourth on the Thunder defense with 24 tackles... Russian S SERGEY IVANOV has registered 3 special teams tackles in the past two games â the 19-year-old's first two appearances of the 2005 campaign ... K KEVIN MILLER (Seattle Seahawks) has hit on 11 of 13 FGs after making a 22-yarder but coming up short on a 48-yard attempt last week. Ranks third in NFLEL with 46 points.
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
Wk 3: at Ams 27 15 186 2 1
Wk 4: at Rhe 27 17 147 2 0
Wk 5: vs Ams 23 14 178 1 0
Wk 6: at Col 23 13 192 1 0
TOTAL 151 92 1050 8* 2
* Leads NFLEL
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
Wk 3: at Ams 14 78 0 2 33 1
Wk 4: at Rhe 7 32 0 3 8 0
Wk 5: vs Ams 11 43 0 2 34 0
Wk 6: at Col 6 21 0 3 23 0
TOTAL 72 307 0 14 111 2
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
Wk 3: at Ams 10 62 0 2 11 0
Wk 4: at Rhe 11 29 2 0 0 0
Wk 5: vs Ams 6 11 1 1 14 0
Wk 6: at Col 6 19 0 2 15 0
TOTAL 65 244 5* 8 82 0
* Ties NFLEL lead
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 7
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (4-2)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (27-29 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: 8-8
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 23-17 vs. Berlin (5/8/05)
OFFENSE: 20.5 pts/game; 295 yds/game (rank 5); 116.2 rush yds/game (rank 3); 178.8 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Passing: Kevin Thompson, 835 yds
Rushing: Kory Chapman, 333 yds
Receiving: Carl Morris 19 rec, 196 yards
DEFENSE: 20.7 pts/game; 286.3 yds/game (rank 2); 80.2 rush yds/game (rank 2); 206.2 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Sacks: Greg White, Jamaine Winborne, 3.0
Interceptions: Lin-J Shell, 1
· THIS WEEK: at FRANKFURT GALAXY ·
Centurions moved into a three-way tie for first place in the NFLEL standings with a big home win over the Berlin Thunder last week, snapping a two-game losing streak. Head coach PETER VAAS says: "The feeling you have after you win is a lot better than after you lose. We are happy to have come out on top against a very well-coached Thunder team and now we look forward to Frankfurt."... QB KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo Bills) has started all six games for the Centurions this season (see table) but has not thrown a touchdown pass in half of those contests. Has played in five games where he has not thrown an interception... QB CHRIS LEWIS (Arizona Cardinals) attempted 2 passes without a completion last week. Has thrown for 296 yards and 2 interceptions this season... RB KORY CHAPMAN (New England Patriots) ranks fifth in the league in rushing (see table) and gained a season-high 94 yards last week... RB KEYLON KINCADE (Dallas Cowboys) ranks seventh in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table). Leads all running backs with 19 receptions and leads Centurions with 3 rushing touchdowns... WR JAMIN ELLIOTT (Chicago Bears) caught 5 passes for 85 yards with a long of 56 last week and ranks third on the team with 12 receptions for 184 yards... WR C.J. JONES (Cleveland Browns) caught 2 passes for 15 yards last week and has 9 for 114 yards and a touchdown this season... WR ROMBY BRYANT (Atlanta Falcons) caught a 19-yard pass last week and has 10 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown this term... WR JAMES ADKISSON (Oakland Raiders) also reeled in a 19-yard pass last weekend and has 10 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown through six games... Japanese WR MICHIHIRO OGAWA caught a 22-yard pass vs. Berlin and has 3 receptions for 45 yards this season... German TE WERNER HIPPLER played his 83rd career game in NFL Europe last week, four behind the all-time record of former Scottish Claymores wide receiver Scott Couper. Has career receiving figures of 85 for 884 yards (third all-time among national players) and 3 touchdowns... DE GREG
WHITE jointly leads the Centurions with 3 sacks. Recorded 2 tackles and knocked down a pass last week... DT DELBERT COWSETTE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 1 tackle last week. Has 9 tackles and 2 sacks on the season... DT BRYAN SAVE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 4 tackles and 1 sack last week. Has 15 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 2005... LB BOBBY BROOKS ranks second on the team with 27 tackles after adding 4 last week. Leads the club with 8 pass break-ups... LB JOE TUIPALA (Washington Redskins) took over the team lead in tackles with 28 after adding 6 stops last weekend... LB ANTHONY DUNN (Houston Texans) recorded 2 tackles last week and has 13 on the season... CB JAMAINE WINBORNE (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 3 tackles and his team-leading third sack of the season last week. Has recorded 15 tackles and 3 pass defenses in 2005... CB KEVIN HOUSE (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 4 tackles last week. Ranks second on the team with 6 passes defended... CB LIN-J SHELL (Philadelphia Eagles) has Cologne's only interception of the season against Hamburg in Week 1. Recorded 4 tackles last week and has 19 on the season... S ED CANONICO (Kansas City Chiefs) made 2 tackles last week and ranks third on the club with 23 stops... K JIMMY KIBBLE made a 38-yard field goal last week but missed one of his 3 PATs. Has connected on 11 of 13 field goals, 45 long, this season and added 12 of 13 PATs to rank fourth in NFLEL with 45 points
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
Wk 3: vs Frank 24 9 118 1 0
Wk 4: vs Ams 36 22 260 2 3
Wk 5: at Ham 2 1 11 0 0
Wk 6: vs Ber 22 11 154 0 0
TOTAL 130 68 835 5 3
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
Wk 3: vs Frank 13 64 0 2 11 0
Wk 4: vs Ams 9 42 0 1 16 0
Wk 5: at Ham 8 19 0 2 31 0
Wk 6: vs Ber 13 94 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 66 333 2 6 61 0
RB KEYLON KINCADE (Dallas Cowboys), GAME-BY-GAME
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: vs Ham 7 17 0 1 12 0
Wk 2: at Rhein 12 44 0 1 2 0
Wk 3: vs Frank 18 106 1 4 46 1
Wk 4: vs Ams 6 14 0 7 76 0
Wk 5: at Ham 13 29 0 5 38 0
Wk 6: vs Ber 15 42 2 1 -6 0
TOTAL 71 252 3 19 168 1
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 6 - Page 8
FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-4)Head Coach: Mike Jones (9-7) 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: 67-59
MEDIA CONTACT: Joachim Haas
Phone: 49-69-978-2790
Fax: 49-69-978-279099
E-mail: joachim.haas@frankfurt-galaxy.
Internet: www.frankfurt-galaxy.de
LAST GAME: Lost 10-48 at Amsterdam (5/8/05)
OFFENSE: 14.5 pts/game; 254.8 yds/game (rank 6); 105.3 rush yds/game (rank 5); 149.5 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Passing: Kevin Eakin, 479 yds
Rushing: Ahmaad Galloway, 373 yds
Receiving: Jamal Jones, 19 rec, 272 yds
DEFENSE: 27.5 pts/game; 382.7 yds/game (rank 6); 187 rush yds/game (rank 6); 195.7 pass yds/game (rank 3)
Sacks: Four players, 2.0
Interceptions: Lamont Brightful, 2
· THIS WEEK: vs COLOGNE CENTURIONS ·
Head coach MIKE JONES is looking for his team to bounce back from last week's heavy loss in Amsterdam, saying: "We can rebound and move on but it is going to take a great effort. We have got to find a way to dig ourselves out of the hole we have put ourselves in."... QB AKILI SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) did not see action last week (see table)... QB KEVIN EAKIN (New York Jets) started his second game last week, completing 7 of 19 passes for 80 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception... RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers) ranks fourth in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table), Faces the team against whom he had his season low rushing total in Week 3... RB J.R. NIKLOS (Oakland Raiders) gained 52 yards on 7 carries last week, including his second TD of the season. Led the team with 73 yards on 13 carries against Cologne this year... WR JAMAL JONES (Green Bay Packers) is the team's leading receiver after five weeks of the season (see table) but has yet to score a touchdown and was held without a catch last week...WR HUBERT WHITTAKER (Jacksonville Jaguars) has 11 catches for 153 yards this year, including 2 for 36 against Cologne... WR SAM BREEDEN (Green Bay Packers) caught 1 pass for 10 yards last week and had 2 catches for 20 yards against Cologne in Week 3... English WR MARVIN ALLEN has 5 receptions for 55 yards on the season after a 6-yard catch last week... TE MARK ANELLI (Atlanta Falcons) led the team with 3 catches for 46 yards last week and is second on the team with 16 for the season... TE BROCK EDWARDS caught 2 passes for 18 yards last week... DE SEANTE WILLIAMS (Green Bay Packers) jointly leads the Galaxy with 2 sacks and posted 3 tackles last week... DT LOUIS GACHELIN has 2 sacks in 2005... DT AHMAD CHILDRESS (New York Giants) posted 4 tackles last week... LB KELLEN BRANTLEY (Buffalo Bills) ranks third on the team with 27 tackles... LB GRANT STEEN (New
England Patriots) recorded a team-high 9 tackles last week and ranks first on the team with 38 stops... CB LAMONT BRIGHTFUL (New York Giants) leads the team with 2 interceptions and 9 passes defended... S RAYMOND PERRYMAN (Jacksonville Jaguars) ranks second on the team with 27 tackles after adding 5 last week... S WOODROW DANTZLER (Dallas Cowboys) returned 8 kickoffs for 145 yards last week... K STEVE SCALDAFERRI (Indianapolis Colts) connected on a 38-yard FG last week and has 20 points on the season... P MIKE BARR (Pittsburgh Steelers) averaged 43.3 yards on 4 punts last week and ranks fourth in the league with a 39.3-yard average.
QB AKILI SMITH Tampa Bay Buccaneers), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Berlin 10 6 68 1 0
Wk 2: vs Ams 12 9 95 0 0
Wk 3: at Col 7 4 52 0 0
Wk 4: vs Ham 14 9 97 0 2
Wk 5: vs Rhe 11 9 90 1 0
Wk 6: at Ams DNP
TOTAL 54 37 402 2 2
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
Wk 3: at Col 5 13 0 0 0 0
Wk 4: vs Ham 10 24 0 3 10 0
Wk 5: vs Rhe 23 117 0 2 12 0
Wk 6: at Ams` 10 21 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 67 256 1 4 18 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
Wk 3: at Col 2 44 0
Wk 4: vs Ham 4 77 0
Wk 5: vs Rhe 4 54 0
Wk 6: at Ams 0 0 0
TOTAL 15 218 0
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 9
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (3-3)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (64-62 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: 3-3
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 19-24 at Rhein (5/7/05)
OFFENSE: 23.2 pts/game; 320 yds/game (rank 2); 75.2 rush yds/game (rank 6); 244.8 pass yds/game (rank 1)
Passing: Casey Bramlet, 1,106 yds
Rushing: Zack Abron, 212 yds
Receiving: Scott McCready 37 rec, 474 yds
DEFENSE: 17.2 pts/game; 308.2 yds/game (rank 4); 78.8 rush yds/game (rank 1); 229.3 pass yds/game (rank 6)
Sacks: Kevin Emanuel, 3.0
Interceptions: Marcell Allmond, 3
· THIS WEEK: vs. AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS ·
After seeing his team's winning streak end at three with last week's loss at Rhein, Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL praised his players, saying: "I am really happy with my team â I have no complaints about what we're trying to do and how we're going about it. It just didn't work out for us in this particular game.".... QB CASEY BRAMLET (Cincinnati Bengals) ranks second in NFL Europe with a passer rating of 89.0 (see table). Leads the league with 95 completions. Threw 2 touchdowns in a game for the first time this season last week... QB RYAN DINWIDDIE (Chicago Bears) hit on 11 of 27 passes for 177 yards last week. Has completed 37 of 81 attempts for 498 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception this season... RB LARRY CROOM (Arizona Cardinals) rushed for 26 yards on 10 carries last week and has 200 rushing yards in the season's opening six games... RB ZACK ABRON (Chicago Bears) leads the Centurions with 212 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns after gaining 10 yards on 4 carries last week... English WR SCOTT McCREADY leads the league in receptions and receiving yards (see table). Leading national receiver in NFLEL history with 141 career receptions for 1,593 yards. Suffered a season-ending knee injury at Rhein last week just minutes after scoring his first touchdown of 2005... WR DEREK McCOY (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught 5 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown last week... WR CHRIS COLLINS (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught 6 passes for 100 yards last week having totalled 101 receiving yards in the opening five games of the season. Now has figures of 17 receptions for 201 yards... WR TERRANCE METCALF (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught 5 passes for 66 yards last week and is averaging 17.2 yards on 11 receptions this year... TE BOBBY BLIZZARD (Atlanta Falcons) leads all NFL Europe League tight ends in receptions (see table)... TE BEN MILLER (Cleveland Browns) has 5 receptions for 91 yards this season and has added 4 special teams stops... DE KEVIN EMANUEL (Seattle Seahawks) leads Hamburg with
3 sacks and recorded 2 tackles last week... DE SACHA LANCASTER has 13 tackles and 1 sack this season... DE AARON HUNT (Denver Broncos) recorded 4 tackles last week, taking his season total to 16 tackles and 2 sacks... LB SCOTT GENORD (Detroit Lions) recorded 1 tackle last week. Ranks fifth on the team with 20 tackles in 2005... LB NICK McNEIL (Green Bay Packers) ranks second on the team with 32 tackles after adding a game-high 11 at Rhein last week... LB SHAWN MORGAN (Green Bay Packers) notched 7 tackles last week to take his season tally to 17... CB MARCELL ALLMOND (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the Sea Devils with 35 tackles and 3 interceptions after recording 6 tackles against the Fire... CB RUFUS BROWN (Washington Redskins) recorded 1 tackle last week, taking his season total to 13. Leads NFL Europe with 12 pass deflections in 2005... S SHAWN MAYER (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 5 tackles last week and ranks third on the team with 24 this season... S ERIC CROUCH (Kansas City Chiefs), a former Heisman Trophy-winning QB, has recorded 20 stops to rank fourth on the team... K TODD FRANCE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads NFL Europe with 61 points after six games. Last week he made 2 of 3 field goals, long 47, and 1 of 1 PAT. Has converted 16 of 19 field goals and 12 of 12 PATs this season. He is on pace to smash the single season records for field goals attempted (27), converted (23) and points scored (85) set by Scott Szeredy of the Barcelona Dragons in 1995... P B.J. SANDER (Green Bay Packers) has averaged 41.0 on 18 kicks this season with a long of 65.
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
Wk 3: vs Rhein 20 15 179 1 1
Wk 4: at Fra 25 17 264 1 0
Wk 5: vs Col 17 10 120 0 0
Wk 6: at Rhe 30 16 185 2 2
TOTAL 148 95* 1106 6 4
WR SCOTT McCREADY, GAME-BY-GAME
Rec Yds TD
Wk 1: at Col 2 24 0
Wk 2: at Ber 8 88 0
Wk 3: vs Rhein 9 101 0
Wk 4: at Fra 5 95 0
Wk 5: vs Col 5 72 0
Wk 6: at Rhe 8 94 1
TOTAL 37* 474* 1
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
Wk 3: vs Rhein 3 19 1
Wk 4: at Fra 3 26 0
Wk 5: vs Col 1 9 0
Wk 6: at Rhe 2 25 0
TOTAL 20 186 1
* Leads NFLEL
TEAM BY TEAM CAPSULES NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 10
RHEIN FIRE (1-5)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (22-24 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: 56-50
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 24-19 vs. Hamburg, (5/7/05)
OFFENSE: 20 pts/game; 306.7 yds/game (rank 4); 112.7 rush yds/game (rank 4); 194 pass yds/game (rank 4)
Passing: Scott McBrien, 1,109 yds
Rushing: Joe Smith, 483 yds
Receiving: Cedric James 25 rec, 419 yds
DEFENSE: 25 pts/game; 331.7 yds/game (rank 5); 109.5 rush yds/game (rank 3); 222.2 pass yds/game (rank 5)
Sacks: Sean Guthrie, 4.0
Interceptions: Four Players, 1
· THIS WEEK: at BERLIN THUNDER ·
Rhein Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK was delighted to see his team snap a nine-game losing streak last weekend, saying: "I'm proud of the job we did today. We really mixed things up at the beginning of the game and we won with a total team effort."... QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers) leads NFL Europe in interceptions thrown (see table) but did not throw a pick last week and leads the league in passing yards and touchdown passes. Threw for 198 yards and a touchdown in last meeting with Thunder... RB JOE SMITH (Tennessee Titans) has carried the football more times than any other player in 2005 (see table) and ranks second in NFL Europe in rushing yards. Gained one of his two 100-yard rushing games in first clash with Thunder... FB BRANDON MIREE (Denver Broncos) saw his first extensive playing time of 2005 last week and caught 4 passes for 81 yards, scoring on a 55-yard catch and run... WR CEDRIC JAMES (New England Patriots) ranks second in the league in receiving yardage (see table) after catching 4 passes for 78 yards and his fourth touchdown of the season last week. Is averaging 16.8 yards per catch. Has only played in two games this year in which he didn't score a touchdown and one was against Berlin... WR GLENN MARTINEZ (Detroit Lions) caught 4 passes for 64 yards last week and has 17 receptions for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season... WR JERIS McINTYRE (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 1 pass for 8 yards last week and ranks fifth in the NFLEL with 302 yards on 14 catches. His 21.6-yard average per catch would rank second in NFLEL history (21.8, Sean LaChapelle, Scotland 1996) if maintained for the year... TE JASON RADER has 13 catches this season... DE GREG SCOTT (Cincinnati Bengals) recorded 1 tackle last weekend and has 19 and 2 sacks this season... DE SEAN GUTHRIE leads NFL Europe with 4 quarterback sacks. Added 3 tackles last week to take his season total to 14... DE DEMETRIOS WALKER (Kansas City Chiefs) recorded 4 tackles and recovered a fumble last week... DT EDDIE FREEMAN (Carolina Panthers) recorded 3 tackles and 2 sacks last weekend, giving
him season totals of 16 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble... LB TONY GILBERT (Jacksonville Jaguars), who played in 16 games for the Jaguars in 2004, leads the Fire with 44 tackles after adding 2 last week, as well as an interception and 2 pass defenses... LB EDWARD THOMAS (Oakland Raiders) registered 7 tackles last week and ranks second on the team with 42 takedowns... CB BLUE ADAMS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 3 tackles and knocked down a pass last weekend... CB JONATHAN COX (San Diego Chargers) notched a team-high 9 tackles and batted down 3 passes last week. Has 26 tackles on the season.... German S RICHARD YANCY recorded 4 tackles last week, for a season total of 26, placing him joint-third among Fire defenders. Leads all national defenders through six games... S CHRIS DAY (Green Bay Packers) has returned a league-high 27 kickoffs for 596 yards (22.1 average) this season. Recorded 1 tackle last week and ran back 5 kickoffs for 116 yards... K NICHOLAS SETTA (Chicago Bears) converted a 27 yard field goal but missed from 43 yards last week. Has hit on 7 of 11 field goals and 13 of 13 PATs for a total of 34 points this season... P TRAVIS DORSCH (Minnesota Vikings) leads NFL Europe with an average of 41.9 yards on 22 punts with a long of 60 yards.
QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers), GAME-BY-GAME
Att Comp Yds TD Int
Wk 1: at Ams 17 8 89 1 2
Wk 2: vs Col 18 10 141 1 1
Wk 3: at Ham 27 16 325 2 2
Wk 4: vs Ber 22 16 198 1 1
Wk 5: at Fra 22 9 125 1 3
Wk 6: vs Ham 22 13 231 2 0
TOTAL 128 72 1109* 8* 9*
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
Wk 3: at Ham 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wk 4: vs Ber 23 120 1 2 6 0
Wk 5: at Fra 28 152 1 1 3 0
Wk 6: vs Ham 31 96 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 112* 483 3 6 30 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
Wk 3: at Ham 6 149 1
Wk 4: vs Ber 3 62 0
Wk 5: at Fra 4 52 1
Wk 6: vs Ham 4 78 1
TOTAL 25 419 4
* Leads NFLEL
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 11
RHEIN FIRE (1-4) at
BERLIN THUNDER (4-2)
Olympic Stadium, Berlin. Saturday May 14, 6:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Rhein leads 7-6 (Berlin leads 1-0 in post-season)
At Berlin: Berlin leads 4-2
At Rhein: Rhein leads 5-2
Streak: Berlin 3
This season: Berlin 30 at Rhein 28 (Week 4)
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. Snapped a nine-game losing streak with victory last weekend... RICK LANTZ has not lost to the Rhein Fire in three attempts. Has a regular season record of 13-3 and is the reigning Coach of the Year. Guided Berlin to glory in World Bowl XII last season.
GAME NOTES
A close game looks on the cards as the Fire have seen each of their last four contests decided by one score or less (8 points). The Thunder have had four of their last five games settled by one score or less and each of those five contests has been decided inside the final two minutes... Fire coming off first win of 2005 which saw them avoid tying a league record with 10 defeats in a row (Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, 1991)... With victory, Berlin will have won 10 home games in a row, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Amsterdam Admirals... Berlin lost at Cologne last week but remain in serious World Bowl contention at 4-2... Thunder quarterbacks are completing a league-high 59.7 percent of their passes... Berlin rank second in touchdowns (16) and points (146) scored... Thunder quarterbacks have been sacked 13 times this season â second-highest figure in NFLEL... Rhein rank fifth in NFL Europe with an average time of possession of 28:53 per game. Berlin rank fourth with an average of 30:40... The Fire have scored 9 passing touchdowns this season to rank second in NFL Europe in that category. But Fire quarterbacks have thrown a league-high 9 interceptions. Thunder defensive backs have picked off a NFLEL-best 10 passes in six games... Both teams will look to improve their performances on third downs. Berlin ranks joint-third with a 39.2 percent success rate, while Rhein ranks fifth with 35.3 percent... The Fire have lost just 1 fumble this season, topping the league in that department... Berlin ranks second in NFL Europe with a +8 turnover ratio â 14 takeaways (10 interceptions, 4 fumbles) to 6 giveaways (3 interceptions, 3 fumbles)... Rhein has a -4 turnover ratio â 6 takeaways (4 interceptions, 2 fumbles) to 10 giveaways (9 interceptions, 1 fumble)... Berlin boasts NFL Europe's second-ranked rushing attack, averaging 117.5 yards per game... The Rhein Fire are gaining 63.3 percent of their offensive yards through the air â only the Hamburg Sea Devils (76.5 percent) are relying on the pass so heavily to gain yardage... Berlin have been flagged more times than any other team in the league, committing 68 penalties in six games... Berlin and Rhein are the only teams this season to have successful two-point conversion attempts... Game is a re-match of Week 4 thriller which the Thunder won by two points as KEVIN MILLER (Seattle Seahawks) kicked a winning 31-yard field goal with 1:14 remaining... QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) threw 2 touchdown passes for the Thunder, while WR GLENN MARTINEZ (Detroit Lions) scored twice for the Fire on receptions of 17 and 4 yards.
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (4-2)
at HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (3-3)
AOL Arena, Hamburg. Saturday May 14, 7:00 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
Overall: First meeting between teams
At Hamburg: 0-0
At Amsterdam: 0-0
Streak: First meeting between teams
TELEVISION
Germany: LIVE/Premiere Sport 2 (7:00 p.m. CET)
US: LIVE/DirecTV (1:00 p.m. ET)
Play-by-play announcer MIKE GOLDBERG is joined in the booth by former Green Bay Packers and new Minnesota Vikings safety DARREN SHARPER.
COACHES
BART ANDRUS is in his fifth season as head coach of the Admirals and has moved up to seventh all-time with 21 regular season victories following Amsterdam's good start to the 2005 campaign. Won a World Bowl ring as offensive coordinator of the Rhein Fire in 2000. 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 won more games (64) than any other coach in NFLEL history.
GAME NOTES
The top two offenses in the NFL Europe League will look to light up the scoreboards in Week 7. The Admirals are averaging 395 yards per game, while the Sea Devils are gaining 320 yards per outing... The Admirals boast NFL Europe's most potent ground attack, averaging 177.7 yards per game. They are on pace to gain 1,777 rushing yards, which would smash the single season record of 1,696 set by the Rhein Fire in 1999... Amsterdam on pace to gain 3,950 total yards of offense, which would rank second all-time behind the 2003 Scottish Claymores, who gained 4,169 yards... Admirals lead NFL Europe in average yards per offensive play (6.3)... Amsterdam boasts NFL Europe's top-ranked defense (278.3 yards per game) and bidding to become first team (and only the second in league history) since the 1998 Admirals to end a season with the top-ranked offensive and defensive units... Attempting to slow Amsterdam's rushing attack is a Hamburg run defense leading the league in allowing opponents 3.3 yards per carry and 78.8 yards per game... Sea Devils rank sixth in passing defense, allowing 229.3 yards per outing... Hamburg lead NFL Europe in pass attempts (229), pass completions (132) and net passing yards (1,469) but have given up a league-high 20 sacks... Sea Devils rank sixth in rushing offense, gaining 75.2 yards per game and scoring a league-low 3 rushing touchdowns in six contests... Amsterdam are the least-penalized team in the league, being flagged 48 times... Amsterdam's offensive line has given up a league-low 7 sacks this season, while the Sea Devils defense ranks joint-second with 12 quarterback sacks... The Sea Devils have forced a league-high 13 fumbles and have recovered 8 of them... Hamburg leads NFL Europe with a +9 turnover ratio â 16 takeaways (8 interceptions, 8 fumbles) to 7 giveaways (5 interceptions, 2 fumbles)... Both teams fare well on third downs. Amsterdam leads the league with a 42.4 percent success rate, while Hamburg ranks second with a conversion percentage of 40.5.
d
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS / RECAP OF WEEK 6 NFL Europe 2005, Week 7 - Page 12
COLOGNE CENTURIONS (4-2)
at FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-4)
Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Saturday May 14, 7:00 pm
SERIES NOTES
Overall: Frankfurt leads 2-1
At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 1-0
At Cologne: Series tied 1-1
Streak: Cologne 1
This season: Frankfurt 14 at Cologne 23 (Week 3)
TELEVISION
US: LIVE/NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET)
Play-by-play announcer DERRIN HORTON is joined in the booth by former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins quarterback RAY LUCAS.
COACHES
PETER VAAS is chasing a third appearance in World Bowl after winning back-to-back titles with the Berlin Thunder in 2001-2002. Has 27 career regular season victories to rank fourth all-time among NFLEL coaches. MIKE JONES is in his second season in charge of the Galaxy and has a 9-7 record. Won World Bowl rings as an assistant coach with the Rhein Fire in 1998 and 2000. Played wide receiver in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints from 1983-89.
GAME NOTES
Cologne snapped a two-game losing streak in defeating the Berlin Thunder last week... Centurions have won five of their last seven games dating back to Week 10 of the 2004 campaign... Frankfurt have lost five of their last seven regular season games dating back to Week 10 of 2004... Both teams have struggled to move the football at times in 2005. Cologne ranks fifth in total offense (295 yards per game), while the Galaxy are sixth in the offensive standings, averaging 254.8 yards per outing... Cologne lead NFL Europe with an average time of possession of 31:56, while Frankfurt rank sixth in that department with an average of 25:46... Cologne quarterbacks are completing a league-low 50.8 percent of their passes... Frankfurt's quarterbacks have been sacked a league-low 7 times... The Centurions lead NFL Europe with 14 quarterback sacks... Cologne's defense is ranked second in NFLEL, allowing 286.3 yards per game. But that unit has come up with a league-low 1 interception in six games... Cologne's 7 rushing touchdowns rank second in NFL Europe... The Centurions rank sixth in NFL Europe with a -9 turnover ratio â 4 takeaways (1 interception, 3 fumbles) to 13 giveaways (6 interceptions, 7 fumbles)... Cologne has NFL Europe's sixth-ranked red zone offense, scoring on 70 percent (11 touchdowns, 3 field goals) of 20 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line... Frankfurt's red zone defense is the worst in NFL Europe, allowing opponents to score 89.3 percent of the time (15 touchdowns and 10 field goals on 28 visits inside the 20-yard line)... Frankfurt's only two wins this season have come on home soil at Commerzbank Arena... Cologne was the first team to win on the road in 2005 when they defeated the Rhein Fire in Week 2... Frankfurt's defense has given up a league-high 18 touchdowns and 165 points this season. The unit gave up a league record-tying 331 rushing yards to the Amsterdam Admirals last weekend... Galaxy defense on pace to concede 1,870 rushing yards, which would surpass the unwanted record of 1,544 set by the Barcelona Dragons in 2002.
· WEEK SIX RECAP ·
Hamburg Sea Devils 19, Rhein Fire 24
(LTU arena, Düsseldorf. Attendance: 18,632)
Scott McBrien (Rhe) 231 passing yards, 2 TD
Chris Collins (Ham) 6 rec, 100 yards
Joe Smith (Rhe) 96 rushing yards, 1 TD
Frankfurt Galaxy 10, Amsterdam Admirals 48
(Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Attendance: 13,227)
Jonathan Smith (Ams) 131 rushing yards
Jarrett Payton (Ams) 97 rushing yards, 2 TD
Kurt Kittner (Ams) 204 passing yards, 3 TD, 1 rush TD
Berlin Thunder 17, Cologne Centurions 23
(RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Attendance: 9,485)
Kory Chapman (Col) 94 rushing yards, 1 TD
Keylon Kincade (Col) 42 rushing yards, 2 TD
Michael Jennings (Ber) 5 rec, 165 yards, 2 TD
National Football League Europa Stories from May 10, 2005
- Three-way tie at top of standings as 2005 season heads for exciting finish - NFLE
- Upon further review, rushing records set - NFLE
- Admirals rushing trio rewarded after record effort - Amsterdam Admirals
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