World Bowl race set to be a crowded one as season enters second half

Published on May 3, 2005 under National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release

THE second half of the 2005 NFL Europe League season kicks off this weekend and it remains clear that the race to reach Yello Strom World Bowl XIII on June 11 is going to be a crowded and hotly-contested one.

For the first time in league history, four of the six clubs boast winning records after five weeks of action and another is only one game out of second place.

The Week 6 action begins on Saturday May 7 with the red-hot Hamburg Sea Devils (3-2) â winners of their past three contests â paying a visit to a dangerous Rhein Fire (0-5) club desperate to grab their first win of the season, following three close losses in a row.

On Sunday May 8, the Frankfurt Galaxy (2-3) can put themselves in the thick of the World Bowl hunt if they pull off a road win against the Amsterdam Admirals (3-2).

The league-leading Berlin Thunder (4-1) round out the Week 6 games with a visit to the Cologne Centurions (3-2). Even though 11 of the previous 12 leaders at the halfway mark of a season have gone on to reach World Bowl, the Thunder know this year's race is far too crowded to be resting on their laurels with five rounds of games still to be battled out.

The action gets underway in DÃ¼sseldorf, Germany, as the Fire look to battle through a tough stretch that has seen them lose their last three games by an average of four points per contest.

Standing in their way is a Sea Devils team that has found its form with three successive wins following an 0-2 start to the 2005 campaign.

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "It was tough to lose a hard-fought football game like we did in Frankfurt. We just have to keep working through this. We'll get to work early this week to try to fix the mistakes. We just need to keep going and keep working."

Hamburg head coach JACK BICKNELL has been delighted with the resurgent Sea Devils, saying: "I'm happy with the way this team has come together, the way they practice, the way they prepare and how much they want to win. We dug ourselves a hole and we're not out of it yet, but we have shown some good progress as we reach the halfway mark."

Buoyed by Saturday night's thrilling three-point victory over the Fire, Frankfurt Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "I need to catch my breath after that. That was a thriller and an exciting time for Galaxy players and fans. Hopefully, we can build a platform for success following the Fire game and from this point on we're talking about winning out and going all the way."

Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS saw his team suffer an 11-point defeat in Berlin last week after Amsterdam was in position to win the contest inside the final minute.

He says: "It was a great game and very hard-fought. I was disappointed because we had the chance to win at the end and opportunities at other places in the game. It would have been nice to get a road win because they are hard to come by in this league."

The final action of Week 6 sees the league-leading Berlin Thunder â led by second-year head coach RICK LANTZ â visit a Cologne Centurions club tutored by former two-time World Bowl-winning coach as a member of the Thunder, PETER VAAS.

With his team on top of the standings at the season's halfway mark, Lantz is pushing his players hard and says: "We don't panic and we find ways to win. It is tough to keep winning games like that as you would like to be able to go on cruise control. I don't see any relief as Cologne will be tough this week. They are a pretty talented team and we may be in games like this all the time."

After seeing his Centurions lose back-to-back games following a 3-0 start, Vaas says: "It's a very closely contested league as always and I'm sure the next five weeks will be very exciting."

WEEK SIX SCHEDULE

SATURDAY MAY 7

Hamburg Sea Devils at Rhein Fire

LTU arena, DÃ¼sseldorf, 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 8

Frankfurt Galaxy at Amsterdam Admirals

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, 3:00 p.m.

Berlin Thunder at Cologne Centurions

RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, 4:00 p.m.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK â WEEK 5

OFFENSIVE Â· JOE SMITH Â· RB, Rhein

152 rushing yards, 1 touchdown; 3 receiving yards

DEFENSIVE Â· JERMAINE MAYS Â· CB, Berlin

2 tackles, 4 passes defended, 100-yard interception return for a touchdown

SPECIAL TEAMS Â· TODD FRANCE Â· K, Hamburg

3 of 3 field goals, 42 long, 2/2 PATs for 11 points

NATIONAL Â· RICHARD YANCY Â· S, Rhein

5 tackles

Big crowds on hand in Week 5 and throughout 2005 season

NFL Europe League attendance is on the up at the halfway stage of the 2005 season. Average attendance of 17,224 per game represents an increase of 8 per cent over the 2004 season average and puts the league on course for the highest average attendance since 2002 â the last year before several NFLEL stadia began a period of reconstruction.

With a two-game average of 17,546, the Hamburg Sea Devils are on pace to achieve the highest first-season average attendance of any new team since the NFLEL relaunched in 1995.

The Frankfurt Galaxy's three-game average of 27,477 in the yet to be completed Commerzbank Arena represents the team's highest average attendance since re-building work began on the old Waldstadion following the 2002 season.

After three home games, the Berlin Thunder are averaging 15,540, putting them on course to beat the franchise record set only last season.

Coaches praise Fire as club seeks to avoid league record

THE Rhein Fire head into Week 6 knowing they need to defeat the Hamburg Sea Devils in LTU arena in order to avoid tying one of the oldest records in NFL Europe League history.

The Fire have lost nine games in a row and another reverse against Hamburg would see them tie the all-time mark for consecutive losses, set by the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks in 1991.

But NFL Europe League coaches don't expect the Fire to roll over in the second half of the 2005 campaign and will point to the fact Rhein lost their last three games by a total of just 12 points.

Following his team's last-gasp defeat of Rhein in Week 5, Frankfurt Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "Their record does not show the character of that Rhein Fire football team."

Sea Devils head coach JACK BICKNELL adds: "I have a lot of respect for the Fire. In this league you never take anyone for granted. Being 0-5 is a difficult thing but I know they can fight back. If we go into this game thinking, âthey're 0-5 and can't be very good' we're going to get beat."

Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK says: "These guys need to win a ball game and get some confidence in themselves. That's the hardest thing right now."

Thunder lead the way but crowd gathering at top of standings

FOLLOWING their 27-16 defeat of the Amsterdam Admirals on Saturday night, the Berlin Thunder are on top of the NFL Europe League standings after five weeks.

But even though being top of the table at the season's halfway mark usually equates to a World Bowl berth, Thunder fans should not begin making their travel plans to DÃ¼sseldorf.

The 2005 season could be very different as the race to Yello Strom World Bowl XIII on Saturday June 11 looks set to be a very crowded one.

For the first time ever since NFL Europe became a six-team league, four teams have reached the halfway stage with a winning record.

While the Thunder are in first place, the Amsterdam Admirals (3-2), Cologne Centurions (3-2) and Hamburg Sea Devils (3-2) also have winning marks, while the Frankfurt Galaxy are just one game back from the chasing pack at 2-3.

Here is a look at how those clubs leading the standings after five weeks of play have fared:

Season Leader after Wk 5 Fared

2004 Berlin (5-0) 9-1, Won World Bowl

2003 Barcelona (4-1) 5-5, Missed World Bowl

2002 Rhein (4-1) 7-3, Lost World Bowl

2001 Barcelona (4-1) 8-2, Lost World Bowl

2000 Rhein (4-1) 7-3, Won World Bowl

1999 Barcelona (4-1) 7-3, Lost World Bowl

1998 Rhein (5-0) 7-3, Won World Bowl

1997 Barcelona (4-1) * 5-5, Won World Bowl

1996 Scotland (4-1) * 7-3, Won World Bowl

1995 Amsterdam (5-0) * 9-1, Lost World Bowl

1992 Orlando (4-1) + 8-2, Lost World Bowl

1991 London (5-0) # 9-1, Won World Bowl

# European Division Leaders

+ North American East Division Leaders

* Qualified for World Bowl as first half champions

Expecting an exciting finish to the 2005 campaign, Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ says: "Statistics are for politicians. It's way too early to think about the World Bowl now and anyone that is thinking about the World Bowl is setting themselves up for failure. There is a 4-1 team, three 3-2 teams and a 2-3 team, so this is an incredibly balanced league. Any loss is costly."

After three straight wins, the Hamburg Sea Devils are back in the thick of the race to compete in Yello Strom World Bowl XIII.

Head coach JACK BICKNELL says: "It's going to be a close race to the end but we know we control a big part of our World Bowl chances because we play the Thunder, who are at the top, once and we

still have to play Amsterdam twice. So we have to take care of our own situation.

Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES has seen his team force their way back into the World Bowl race with a Week 5 victory over the Rhein Fire.

He says: "Winning against the Fire puts us back in a position to compete with the other leading teams. We know we have a chance here.

"It's going to be a tough second half of the season. Nobody is going to lie down and everybody will be fighting for victories. There are going to be some tough and competitive games and we've got to find ways to win them."

Admirals head coach BART ANDRUS is bidding to guide Amsterdam to its first World Bowl appearance since 1995.

He says: "There are a lot of things that can happen. It is still too early to gauge it. Right now there are too many teams tied up.

"There are three teams with the same record right now and everyone has to play each other at least one more time, except for us and Berlin. It's too early to tell."

No place like home for Berlin

WITH their last-minute victory over the Amsterdam Admirals on Saturday night, the Berlin Thunder proved âthere's no place like home' as they tied the league record for consecutive victories on home soil.

The Thunder have now 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. That means when the Thunder next play at home against Rhein in Week 7, they won't have been beaten at Olympic Stadium in two years.

Here is a look at Berlin's home results during their record-tying streak:

Season/Week Opponent Result

2003-Week 10 Frankfurt W 27-14

2004-Week 1 Scotland W 20-14

2004-Week 3 Cologne W 35-31

2004-Week 5 Amsterdam W 33-29

2004-Week 7 Rhein W 33-20

2004-Week 10 Frankfurt W 41-0

2005-Week 1 Frankfurt W 30-7

2005-Week 2 Hamburg W 15-13

2005-Week 5 Amsterdam W 27-16

Thunder general manager MICHAEL LANG says: "Our team has achieved some wonderful success at home in recent years and much of that credit must go to our coaching staff. But when you consider the support we get from our great fans, it's not that surprising."

Big-play Mays clinches Thunder tie-breaker, but angers coach!

THE clock is ticking down and your defense needs a big play to clinch victory. Who do you call for? If you're the Berlin Thunder, the answer is cornerback JERMAINE MAYS.

With Berlin sitting on top of the NFLEL standings with a 4-1 record, three of those victories have been clinched or set up by interceptions by the Indianapolis Colts-allocated man, who won a World Bowl ring with the Thunder last year.

In Week 2, it was his pick that preserved a two-point win as the Hamburg Sea Devils threatened to snatch victory on their final drive in Berlin. Two weeks later, the Fire held a one-point advantage late in the game against the Thunder, until Mays stepped up to intercept quarterback Scott McBrien and enable his team to kick a dramatic field goal to win the game.

Last week, the Admirals were poised to overturn a 20-16 Thunder lead when they got to the Berlin 6-yard line with just a few ticks left on the clock. But Kurt Kittner's pass landed in the arms of Mays, who raced goal line to goal line for a 100-yard yard touchdown. This time, though, he didn't exactly get a rapturous welcome from his head coach RICK LANTZ.

Lantz says: "What you would really like a player to do in that situation is just fall down, but he just took off and ran. Players just react and do things instinctively and that is why I was upset.

"Just get on the floor. They could tackle you and you could fumble and then you could lose the game. That's why I jumped on him on the sideline. He said that the touchdown gave us the tiebreaker [over Amsterdam] but our formula is just to win this game."

Mays' touchdown did, in fact, give the Thunder the edge if they end up tied in the standings with the Admirals. Having lost to Amsterdam by four points in Week 3, the late score gave them an 11-point victory over their rivals.

Even Mays admits, however, that had not been on his mind when he caught Kittner's errant pass.

"No, I wasn't thinking about that at the time I just picked the ball off and started running. Once I caught it I just was thinking about the grass in front of me and thinking, âRun, Forrest. Run.'

"I am happy to be making big plays. I am just doing what I can to help the team win."

Through the first half of the 2005 season, Mays has recorded 7 tackles, a league-leading 3 interceptions for 113 yards and 6 pass defenses.

Edwards proves NFL Europe can be the âLand of the Free'... agent

DESPITE the fact that a record 271 NFL players were allocated to NFL Europe this spring, the opening half of the 2005 season has still seen some key performances by free agents looking to land spots in NFL training camps later this year.

A perfect example is tight end BROCK EDWARDS, who dramatically led the Frankfurt Galaxy to a 23-20 victory over the Rhein Fire in the first Deutschland Derby of the season.

Edwards caught 3 passes for 16 yards last weekend and scored on touchdown receptions of 3 and 11 yards, the second coming on a pressure-packed leaping catch in the end zone on fourth down with 16 seconds left in the game.

Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES says: "That last catch by Brock Edwards was truly big for us in terms of where we go for the remainder of the season."

Other free agents have made an impression in the first five weeks of the 2005 season, including Cologne Centurions kicker JIMMY KIBBLE, Rhein Fire defensive end SEAN GUTHRIE, Frankfurt Galaxy defensive tackle LOUIS GACHELIN, Amsterdam Admirals linebacker GREG CAROTHERS, Berlin Thunder cornerback JAMES THORNTON, Cologne Centurions linebacker BOBBY BROOKS and Rhein Fire tight end JASON RADER.

Kibble has converted 10 of 12 field goals and 10 of 10 PATs to rank third in NFL Europe with 40 points, while Guthrie leads the league with 4 sacks and has added 12 tackles and a forced fumble.

Gachelin leads the Galaxy with 2 sacks among 13 tackles and Carothers ranks second on Amsterdam's defense with 26 tackles.

Second-year defensive back Thornton ranks second on Berlin's defense with 26 tackles, 3 passes defended, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble, while Brooks leads the Centurions with 23 tackles through five games. Rader ranks second among NFLEL tight ends with 13 receptions for 117 yards.

NFLEL FACTS: Turnover Kings

Through the opening half of the 2005 campaign, only two teams have a positive turnover ratio â the Hamburg Sea Devils (+12) and the Berlin Thunder (+8). The Sea Devils have a league-high 16 takeaways (8 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries) compared to just 4 giveaways (3 interceptions,1 fumble). Berlin has 14 takeaways (10 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries) and just 6 giveaways (3 interceptions, 3 fumbles). Frankfurt and Amsterdam are next in the rankings with a -2 ratio and the Rhein Fire has a -7 difference between takeaways and giveaways. The Cologne Centurions rank last with a turnover ratio of -9.

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (3-2)Head Coach: Bart Andrus (20-25 in NFLEL)Colours: Orange and blue

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: John Allen (2nd season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Darryl Sims (2nd season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 54-51

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: Lost 16-27 at Berlin (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 24.4 pts/game; 367 yds/game (rank 1); 147 yds rush/game (rank 1); 222 yds pass/game (rank 2)

Passing: Kurt Kittner, 567 yds

Rushing: Jonathan Smith, 355 yds

Receiving: Ruvell Martin 19 rec, 330 yds

DEFENSE: 23 pts/game; 300.8 yds/game (rank 2); 115.6 rush yds/game (rank 3); 185.2 pass yds/game (rank 2)

Sacks: Josh Mallard, Omari Hand, Clint Mitchell, 2.0

Interceptions: B.J. Tucker, Norman Lejeune, 2

Â· THIS WEEK: vs FRANKFURT GALAXY Â·

After two weeks on the road, head coach BART ANDRUS takes his team home, where they are unbeaten this season. Saw his team come close to second straight road win at Berlin last week, but says: "We didn't step up to make plays when we needed to and when the opportunity presented itself. It would have been nice to get that other road win because they are hard to come by in this league."... Andrus stresses the importance of turnovers after committing four last week. "We were up in every category except turnovers and that got us in the end.".... QB KURT KITTNER (Chicago Bears) was intercepted three times during his first start of the season last week (see table)... RB JONATHAN SMITH (Kansas City Chiefs) ranks second in the NFLEL in rushing yards (see table)... RB JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) ranks fourth in NFLEL in rushing yards (see table) but saw a three-game scoring streak ended last week... WR RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers) has scored a touchdown in every game this season (see table), including a 38-yarder last week ... WR JOHN BOOTH (Kansas City Chiefs) had 2 catches for 29 yards last week and 1 for 24 at Frankfurt this season... WR ATAVEUS CASH (New York Giants) led the team with 91 yards on 5 catches last week and rushed twice for 17 yards... TE MIKE GOMEZ (Buffalo Bills) caught 3 passes for 39 yards last week. Has 12 catches for the season, including 4 for 55 yards against Frankfurt... French TE YOAN SCHNEE has 3 catches in the last two games after 2 for 8 yards last week....WR CARLOS PEREZ (Philadelphia Eagles) caught 3 passes for 34 yards last week... DE JOSH MALLARD (Indianapolis Colts) is the joint team leader with 2 sacks... DE OMARI HAND (Jacksonville Jaguars) had his second sack of the season last week and posted 3 tackles... DE CLINT MITCHELL recorded 5 tackles last week and his second sack of the season... LB GREG CAROTHERS recorded

3 tackles and has 26 this season... LB PHIL ARCHER registered 3 tackles last week... Swedish LB CARL-JOHAN BJÃRK has recorded 11 tackles this year after 1 last week. Made 6 tackles against Frankfurt earlier this season ... CB JEFF SANCHEZ (Detroit Lions) had 2 tackles and defended 2 passes last week... CB B.J. TUCKER (Seattle Seahawks) had 6 tackles last week ... S SCOTT CONNOT (Kansas City Chiefs) had a team-high 7 tackles last week and leads the club with 32 this season... S RON ISRAEL (Pittsburgh Steelers) made a team-high 12 tackles against Frankfurt this year... S NORMAN LEJEUNE (Tennessee Titans) posted 5 tackles last week... K CHRIS SNYDER (Houston Texans) has kicked six FGs in last two games. Last week he was 3 of 4, missing from 24 yards and hitting from 35, 35 and 25. Has 38 points on the season... P RYAN DUTTON (Seattle Seahawks) leads the league with a 41.9-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

TOTAL 76 42 567 2 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

TOTAL 53 313 3 8 93 0

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

TOTAL 68 355 2 6 34 0

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

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Rhein 5 46 1

Wk 2: at Frank 2 32 1

Wk 3: vs Berlin 4 73 1

Wk 4: at Col 3 92 1

Wk 5: at Ber 5 87 1

TOTAL 19 330 5*

* Leads NFLEL

BERLIN THUNDER (4-1)Head Coach: Rick Lantz (13-2 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: 35-30

MEDIA CONTACT: Maik Matischak

Phone: 49-30-300-644-00

Fax: 49-30-300-644-77

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

Internet: www.berlin-thunder.de

LAST GAME: Won 27-16 vs Amsterdam (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 25.8 pts/game; 315.8 yds/game (rank 2); 128.8 rush yds/game (rank 2); 187 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Passing: Dave Ragone, 858 yds

Rushing: Cal Murray, 286 yds

Receiving: Michael Jennings 20 rec, 251 yds

DEFENSE: 19 pts/game; 313.6 yds/game (rank 4); 137 rush yds/game (rank 5); 176.6 pass yds/game (rank 1)

Sacks: Michael Brown, 2.0

Interceptions: Jermaine Mays 3

Â· THIS WEEK: at COLOGNE CENTURIONS Â·

Thunder head coach RICK LANTZ is expecting yet another close game after victory over Amsterdam was not decided until the dying seconds. "We don't panic and we find a way to win. I don't see any relief. Cologne will be tough. They are a pretty talented team."... QB DAVE RAGONE (Houston Texans) has started all five games and leads NFLEL in touchdown passes (see table)... QB BRET ENGEMANN (Oakland Raiders) did not see action last week... QB CHRIS FINLEN (New Orleans Saints) completed 2 of 3 passes for 42 yards last week... RB CAL MURRAY (San Diego Chargers) leads the team in rushing yards (see table) but has yet to score a rushing TD... RB LITTLE JOHN FLOWERS (New York Jets) leads the league with 5 rushing touchdowns (see table)... FB BRIAN JOHNSON (San Francisco 49ers) had 1 rush for 3 yards last week ... WR MICHAEL JENNINGS (New York Giants) caught 6 passes for 64 yards last week and leads the team with 19 receptions this season. Gained 120 yards on 5 kickoff returns last week... WR AARON BOONE (Carolina Panthers) has 8 catches in last two games after 4 for 72 yards last week, giving him 15 on the season... WR TERRENCE STUBBS (New York Jets) has 13 receptions for 141 yards after being held without a catch last week... TE BEN MOA (Miami Dolphins) caught a 14-yard pass last week and has 10 receptions this season... TE JOHN FRIESER (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught 2 passes for 22 yards last week, including his first TD of the season... Finnish TE KLAUS ALINEN has 4 catches for 11 yards this season... German DE CHRISTIAN MOHR (Seattle Seahawks) has 7 tackles this season... LB RICH SCANLON (Kansas City Chiefs) made 15 stops last week, the highest single-game total of any player this season. Leads the team with 47 tackles and has been team leader in every game this season... LB JAMAL BROOKS (Cleveland Browns) posted 5 tackles last week and has 21 stops on the season... Head coach

Rick Lantz says of Brooks and Scanlon: "They are both great leaders and I think they could both be playing on Sundays."... LB MICHAEL BROWN (Atlanta Falcons) registered 6 tackles last week and has 20 on the year... CB MICHAEL HARDEN (Seattle Seahawks) recorded 6 tackles last weekend... CB WILLIE FORD (Indianapolis Colts) recorded 6 tackles last week and 3 pass defenses. He leads the team with 6 knockdowns... CB JERMAINE MAYS (Indianapolis Colts) returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown to clinch victory against Amsterdam last week. He also defended 4 passes, earning Defensive Player of the Week honors. He leads the league with 3 picks, including one that set up Berlin's game-winning FG in Week 4 and one to seal a 2-point win in Week 2... S ADRIAN MAYES (Arizona Cardinals) recorded 3 tackles last week and has 17 this season... S JACK HUNT (Miami Dolphins) has 9 tackles in two games since coming off IR ... CB JAMES THORNTON posted 11 tackles, 1 interception, 3 pass defenses and a forced fumble last week... English DT LORN MAYERS became youngest player in NFLEL history last week when he saw first action of the season as a 19-year-old... K KEVIN MILLER (Seattle Seahawks) has hit on 10 of 11 FGs after making kicks from 35 and 38 yards last week. Ranks second in the league with 41 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

TOTAL 128 79 858 7* 2

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

TOTAL 66 286 0 11 88 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

TOTAL 59 225 5* 6 67 0

* Leads NFLEL

COLOGNE CENTURIONS (3-2)Head Coach: Peter Vaas (26-29 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: 7-8

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: Lost 6-23 at Hamburg (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 20 pts/game; 302.8 yds/game (rank 4); 112.4 rush yds/game (rank 4); 190.4 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Passing: Kevin Thompson, 681 yds

Rushing: Kory Chapman, 239 yds

Receiving: Carl Morris 19 rec, 196 yards

DEFENSE: 21.4 pts/game; 275 yds/game (rank 1); 84 rush yds/game (rank 2); 191 pass yds/game (rank 3)

Sacks: Greg White, 3.0

Interceptions: Lin-J Shell, 1

Â· THIS WEEK: vs. BERLIN THUNDER Â·

Centurions have now lost two in a row after opening the year with a 3-0 record. Head coach PETER VAAS had a simple explanation for last week's loss to Hamburg, saying: "They scored more points than we did and we turned it over more than they did. It stands to reason that they won."... QB KEVIN THOMPSON (Buffalo Bills) has started all four games for the Centurions this season but only attempted 2 passes last week (see table) before he suffered a hand injury... QB CHRIS LEWIS (Arizona Cardinals) completed 19 of 31 passes for 239 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions last week and has thrown for 296 yards this season... Japanese QB KENTARO NAMIKI attempted 3 passes last week but failed to complete one and threw 1 interception... RB KORY CHAPMAN (New England Patriots) ranks sixth in the league in rushing (see table) but has seen his rushing total decline each week since gaining a season-high 83 yards in Week 2... RB KEYLON KINCADE (Dallas Cowboys) gained 29 yards on 13 carries last week and added a team-leading 5 receptions for 38 yards. Ranks fourth in NFLEL with 384 total yards (210 rushing, 174 receiving)... WR CARL MORRIS (San Diego Chargers) ranks fourth in NFLEL with 19 receptions (see table). Has 54 career catches in NFLEL. Missed last week's game through illness... WR C.J. JONES (Cleveland Browns) caught 2 passes for 39 yards last week and has 7 for 99 yards and a touchdown this season... WR ROMBY BRYANT (Atlanta Falcons) caught 2 passes for 22 yards last week... WR JAMES ADKISSON (Oakland Raiders) caught 2 passes for 55 yards last week and ranks third on the Centurions squad with 9 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown... Japanese WR MICHIHIRO OGAWA has made 2 receptions for 23 yards this season... WR JAMIN ELLIOTT (Chicago Bears) caught 3 passes for 35 yards last week... German TE WERNER HIPPLER played his 82nd career game in NFL Europe last week, five 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 3TDs... DE GREG WHITE had 2 sacks among 3 tackles last week and now leads Cologne with 3 sacks on the season... DT DELBERT COWSETTE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 3 tackles and his second sack of the season last week... LB BOBBY BROOKS leads the team with 23 tackles after adding 2 last week... LB JOE TUIPALA (Washington Redskins) recorded 4 tackles and knocked down a pass last week, taking his season tally to 22 stops â good for second on the team... CB JAMAINE WINBORNE (Baltimore Ravens) recorded 2 tackles and knocked down a pass last week. Has recorded 12 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 pass defenses in 2005... CB KEVIN HOUSE (Seattle Seahawks) knocked down 3 passes last week and leads Cologne with 6 pass deflections in five games... CB LIN-J SHELL (Philadelphia Eagles) has Cologne's only interception of the season against Hamburg in Week 1. Recorded 3 tackles last week and has 15 on the season... S KALVIN PEARSON (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 1 tackle last week, taking his half-season total to 15... S ED CANONICO (Kansas City Chiefs) had a team-high 5 tackles last week and ranks second on the club with 22 stops... K JIMMY KIBBLE made field goals of 39 and 41 yards last week. His average of 8 points per game means he could challenge the single-season NFLEL scoring record of 85 points (Barcelona K Scott Szeredy, 1995). Ranks third in NFLEL with 40 points in five games.

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

TOTAL 108 57 681 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

TOTAL 53 239 1 6 61 0

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

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: vs Ham 5 35 0

Wk 2: at Rhein 7 81 0

Wk 3: vs Frank 2 23 0

Wk 4: vs Ams 5 57 0

Wk 5: at Ham 0 0 0

TOTAL 19 196 0

FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-3)Head Coach: Mike Jones (9-6) 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: 67-58

MEDIA CONTACT: Joachim Haas

Phone: 49-69-978-2790

Fax: 49-69-978-279099

E-mail: joachim.haas@frankfurt-galaxy.

Internet: www.frankfurt-galaxy.de

LAST GAME: Won 23-20 vs Rhein (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 15.4 pts/game; 272.6 yds/game (rank 6); 105.8 rush yds/game (rank 5); 166.8 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Passing: Akili Smith, 402 yds

Rushing: Ahmaad Galloway, 352 yds

Receiving: Jamal Jones, 19 rec, 272 yds

DEFENSE: 23.4 pts/game; 352.2 yds/game (rank 6); 158.2 rush yds/game (rank 6); 194 pass yds/game (rank 4)

Sacks: Four players, 2.0

Interceptions: Lamont Brightful, 2

Â· THIS WEEK: at AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS Â·

The Galaxy head to the Netherlands in high spirits following their last-gasp defeat of the Rhein Fire last weekend. Head coach MIKE JONES was pleased with his team's victory but is pushing for more improvement in the second half of the season, saying: "We made some errors in the Rhein game and for the most part they didn't cost us. We have to continue to work to get better and we have to play smart and be patient. Hopefully we will get better in that area and have a strong end to the season." ... QB AKILI SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) only played in the third quarter of last week's defeat of the Fire but threw his second touchdown pass of the season (see table) after hitting on 9 of 11 passes. Added 21 rushing yards on 2 attempts. Completed 9 of 12 passes in last meeting with Admirals... QB KEVIN EAKIN (New York Jets) completed 10 of 21 passes for 116 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception last week, including game-winning throw with 16 seconds remaining... ... RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers) ranks third in NFL Europe in rushing yards (see table) after gaining 117 yards on 23 attempts last week. Earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2 meeting with the Admirals when he rushed for 161 yards and 1 touchdown on a season-high 33 attempts... RB J.R. NIKLOS (Oakland Raiders) rushed for 15 yards and a touchdown on 2 carries last week and has 120 yards on the season. Also has 5 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown to his name... 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. Caught season-high 5 passes against Amsterdam in Week 2... WR HUBERT WHITTAKER (Jacksonville Jaguars) caught 4 passes for 44 yards last week and has 11 for 153 yards and a touchdown on the season... WR SAM BREEDEN (Green Bay Packers) did not catch a pass last week and has 7 for 97 yards on the season... English WR MARVIN ALLEN caught a 15-yard pass last week but lost a fumble. Has 4 receptions for 49 yards on the season... TE MARK

ANELLI (Atlanta Falcons) ranks second on the team with 13 receptions after grabbing 3 passes for 41 yards last week... TE BROCK EDWARDS caught 3 passes for 16 yards and scored on touchdown receptions covering 3 and 11 yards, the latter proving to be the game-winner with 16 seconds remaining... DE SEANTE WILLIAMS (Green Bay Packers) jointly leads the Galaxy with 2 sacks... DE DERRICK CRAWFORD (Cincinnati Bengals) recorded 3 tackles and 1 sack last week... DT LOUIS GACHELIN recorded 2 tackles and 1 sack last week and has made 13 tackles and 2 sacks in 2005... DT MATT MITRIONE recorded 1 tackle and 1 pass defense last week... DT AHMAD CHILDRESS (New York Giants) marked his return from IR last week by recording 5 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble... LB KELLEN BRANTLEY (Buffalo Bills) recorded 6 tackles last week. Ranks third on team with 26 tackles... LB GRANT STEEN (New England Patriots) recorded a team-high 8 tackles against the Fire last week and ranks second on the team with 29 stops... CB ERIC JOYCE (Atlanta Falcons) recorded 1 tackle, knocked down 1 pass and recorded 1 interception for 20 yards last week... CB LAMONT BRIGHTFUL (New York Giants) intercepted 2 passes for 47 yards last week and added 3 tackles and 4 passes defended. Has season totals of 17 tackles, 2 interceptions and 9 passes defended... S RAYMOND PERRYMAN (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the team with 32 tackles after adding 7 last week. Faces his old team as had 43 tackles for Amsterdam in 2002... S WOODROW DANTZLER (Dallas Cowboys) recorded 5 tackles and returned 3 kickoffs for 54 yards last week... K STEVE SCALDAFERRI (Indianapolis Colts) connected on his only field goal of the game last week â from 28 yards â but did miss a PAT against the Fire. Has 16 points on the season... P MIKE BARR (Pittsburgh Steelers) has averaged 38.6 yards on a league-high 23 punts this season, dropping 7 inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

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

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

TOTAL 57 235 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

TOTAL 15 218 0

HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (3-2)Head Coach: Jack Bicknell (64-61 in NFLEL, 2-5 in post-season)Colours: Dark blue, teal, red

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Vince Martino (1st season)

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dan Daniel (1st season)

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD: 3-2

MEDIA CONTACT: Thomas Bothstede

Phone: 49-407-525-590

Fax: 49-407-525-5959

E-mail: pr@hamburg-seadevils.de

Internet: www.hamburg-seadevils.de

LAST GAME: Won 23-6 vs Cologne (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 24 pts/game; 308.6 yds/game (rank 3); 82.6 rush yds/game (rank 6); 226 pass yds/game (rank 1)

Passing: Casey Bramlet, 921 yds

Rushing: Zack Abron, 202 yds

Receiving: Scott McCready 29 rec, 380 yds

DEFENSE: 15.8 pts/game; 303.8 yds/game (rank 3); 74.8 rush yds/game (rank 1); 229 pass yds/game (rank 6)

Sacks: Four players, 2.0

Interceptions: Marcell Allmond, 3

Â· THIS WEEK: at RHEIN FIRE Â·

Head coach JACK BICKNELL praised his team following last week's third win in a row, stating: "It was a tough game and Cologne was good on defense. I thought we played really well. When you start off 0-2, the only thing you can hope for is to be 3-2 after the first half of the season, and that's not easy.".... QB CASEY BRAMLET (Cincinnati Bengals) leads the league with a 94.6 passer rating (see table). Also tops the league with 921 passing yards from 79 completions. Attempted a season-low 17 passes last week... QB RYAN DINWIDDIE (Chicago Bears) hit on 3 of 9 attempts for 33 yards last week. Has season totals of 26 completions from 54 attempts for 321 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception... RB LARRY CROOM (Arizona Cardinals) rushed for 35 yards on 7 carries last week and has 174 rushing yards in the season's opening five games... RB ZACK ABRON (Chicago Bears) leads the Centurions with 202 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns after gaining 65 yards on 9 carries last week... English WR SCOTT McCREADY leads the league in receptions and receiving yards (see table). Leading national receiver in NFLEL history with 133 career receptions for 1,499 yards. Caught 9 passes for 101 yards in last meeting with Fire... WR DEREK McCOY (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught 2 passes for 16 yards last week... WR RICKY BRYANT (New England Patriots) did not catch a pass last week due to injury. Ranks second in receiving touchdowns this season with 4. Has 14 receptions for 199 yards in 2005... WR CHRIS COLLINS (Pittsburgh Steelers) caught a 23-yard pass last week and has 11 receptions for 101 yards this season... WR TERRANCE METCALF (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) caught an 11-yard pass last week and averages 20.5 yards on his 6 receptions this season... TE BOBBY BLIZZARD (Atlanta Falcons) leads all NFL Europe League tight ends in receptions (see table). Scored his only touchdown of the season in previous meeting with the Fire in Week 3... TE BEN MILLER (Cleveland Browns) has 5 receptions for 91 yards this season... DE IVORY McCOY

jointly leads the Sea Devils with 2 sacks. Recorded 2 tackles and knocked down a pass last week.... DE KEVIN EMANUEL (Seattle Seahawks) made 2 tackles against Cologne... DE SACHA LANCASTER recorded 5 tackles last week... DE AARON HUNT (Denver Broncos) is tied for the team lead with 2 sacks. Recorded 4 tackles and recovered a fumble last week... German DT BASTIAN LANO faces his old team having played for the Fire in 2000-01 & 2003. Made 1 tackle and knocked down a pass last week... LB SCOTT GENORD (Detroit Lions) recorded 4 tackles and a fumble recovery last week. Ranks fifth on the team with 19 tackles in 2005... LB NICK McNEIL (Green Bay Packers) ranks second on the team with 21 tackles after adding 4 last week. Scored on a 28-yard interception return against the Centurions last week... CB MARCELL ALLMOND (Jacksonville Jaguars) leads the Sea Devils with 29 tackles and 3 interceptions after recording 3 tackles and 2 picks vs. Cologne... CB RUFUS BROWN (Washington Redskins) recorded 3 tackles and 4 pass defenses last week. Leads NFL Europe with 12 pass deflections in 2005... S SHAWN MAYER (Atlanta Falcons) led the Sea Devils with 10 tackles last week and has 19 stops this season... S ERIC CROUCH (Kansas City Chiefs), a former Heisman Trophy-winning QB, had 5 tackles and 1 pass defense last week and has recorded 20 stops in his first five games as a pro safety to rank third on the team... K TODD FRANCE (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) leads NFL Europe with 54 points after five games. Last week he made 3 of 3 field goals, long 42, and 2 of 2 PATs to be named Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in 2005. 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) ranks second in the NFLEL with a 41.1-yard average on 17 kicks.

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

TOTAL 118 79 * 921* 4 2

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

TOTAL 29* 380* 0

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

Rec Yds TD

Wk 1: at Col 7 88 0

Wk 2: at Ber 4 19 0

Wk 3: vs Rhein 3 19 1

Wk 4: at Fra 3 26 0

Wk 5: vs Col 1 9 0

TOTAL 18 161 1

* Leads NFLEL

RHEIN FIRE (0-5)Head Coach: Pete Kuharchek (21-24 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: 55-50

MEDIA CONTACT: Markus MÃ¼ller

Phone: 49-211-478-730

Fax: 49-211-478-7329

E-mail: markus.mueller@rhein-fire.de

Internet: www.rhein-fire.de

LAST GAME: Lost 20-23 at Frankfurt, (4/30/05)

OFFENSE: 19.2 pts/game; 302 yds/game (rank 5); 115.4 rush yds/game (rank 3); 186.6 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Passing: Scott McBrien, 878 yds

Rushing: Joe Smith, 387 yds

Receiving: Cedric James 21 rec, 341 yds

DEFENSE: 26.2 pts/game; 323.4 yds/game (rank 5); 122.4 rush yds/game (rank 4); 201 pass yds/game (rank 5)

Sacks: Sean Guthrie, 4.0

Interceptions: Blue Adams, Jonathan Cox, 1

Â· THIS WEEK: vs HAMBURG SEA DEVILS Â·

Rhein Fire head coach PETE KUHARCHEK is demanding hard work from his winless team in order to get their season back on track. The fifth-year head coach says: "We just have to keep working through this. We're making mistakes in critical situations â it's just a little bit of everything. You can't just point to one thing and say we need a new defensive tackle or quarterback or wide receiver."... QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers) leads NFL Europe in interceptions thrown (see table) after throwing 3 picks in last week's loss to Frankfurt. Threw for a season-high 325 yards and 2 touchdowns in last meeting with the Sea Devils in Week 3... QB ANDY HALL (Philadelphia Eagles) did not see playing time last week. Has a passer rating of 58.7 on the season... RB JOE SMITH (Tennessee Titans) leads NFL Europe in rushing yards (see table) and enjoyed his best game of the season last week, gaining 152 yards on 28 carries to win Offensive Player of the Week honors. Has rushed for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns in the past two games... FB JOE HALL (Kansas City Chiefs) has 8 receptions in five games this season. Did not catch a pass last week... WR CEDRIC JAMES (New England Patriots) ranks second in the league in receiving yardage (see table) after catching 4 passes for 52 yards and his third touchdown of the season last week. Is averaging 16.2 yards per catch... WR GLENN MARTINEZ (Detroit Lions) caught 1 passes for 14 yards last week and has 13 receptions for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season... WR JERIS McINTYRE (Kansas City Chiefs) caught 2 passes for 45 yards last week and ranks fourth in the NFLEL with 294 yards on 13 catches. His 22.6-yard average per catch would beat the NFLEL single-season record (21.8, Sean LaChapelle, Scotland 1996) if maintained for the year... TE JASON RADER has 13 catches this season after reeling in an 11-yard pass last weekend... DE GREG SCOTT (Cincinnati Bengals) ranks second on the Fire with 2 quarterback sacks in 2005. Made 2 tackles last weekend... DE SEAN

GUTHRIE leads NFL Europe with 4 quarterback sacks after adding 2 among 4 tackles last week... DE DEMETRIOS WALKER (Kansas City Chiefs) made 4 tackles last week, taking his season tally to 16... DT EDDIE FREEMAN (Carolina Panthers) recorded 1 tackle against Frankfurt and has 12 stops this season... LB TONY GILBERT (Jacksonville Jaguars), who played in 16 games for the Jaguars in 2004, leads the Fire with 42 tackles after adding a team-high 11 stops last week... LB EDWARD THOMAS (Oakland Raiders) registered 7 tackles last week and ranks second on the team with 35 takedowns... LB TERRENCE ROBINSON (Seattle Seahawks) registered 1 tackle and knocked down 1 pass last week, taking his season total to 18 stops... CB BLUE ADAMS (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recorded 6 tackles and 1 interception for 13 yards last weekend... CB JONATHAN COX (San Diego Chargers) recorded 3 tackles and forced a fumble last week. Also added 2 special teams stops.... German S RICHARD YANCY recorded 5 tackles last week, for a season total of 22, placing him third among Fire defenders. Was named National Player of Week 5... S CHRIS DAY (Green Bay Packers) ranks second in NFL Europe with a 21.8-yard kickoff return average and leads the NFLEL with 480 KO return yards with a long of 48... K NICHOLAS SETTA (Chicago Bears) converted field goals of 42 and 21 yards last week but missed from 43 yards... P TRAVIS DORSCH (Minnesota Vikings) punted 3 times for a 45.7-yard average last week and ranks third in NFL Europe in 2005 with an average of 40.9 on 17 punts.

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

TOTAL 106 59 878 6 9*

* Leads NFLEL

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

TOTAL 81* 387* 2 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

TOTAL 21 341 3

* Leads NFLEL

HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (3-2)

at RHEIN FIRE (0-5)

LTU arena, DÃ¼sseldorf. Saturday May 7, 7:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Hamburg leads 1-0

At Rhein: First meeting between teams at Rhein

At Hamburg: Hamburg leads 1-0

Streak: Hamburg 1

This season: Rhein 24 at Hamburg 31 (Week 3)

TELEVISION

Germany: LIVE/Premiere Sport 2 (7:00 p.m. CET)

US: LIVE/NFL Network (1:00 p.m. ET)

Play-by-play announcer CRAIG SHERMON is joined in the booth by former Oakland Raiders offensive tackle and NFL Network regular LINCOLN KENNEDY.

COACHES

PETE KUHARCHEK has led the Rhein Fire to a pair of World Bowl appearances during his tenure, losing the title game to Berlin in 2002 and Frankfurt in 2003. Won World Bowls in 1998 and 2000 as defensive coordinator of the Fire. Has lost nine games in a row as Fire head coach. 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

Hamburg Sea Devils head to DÃ¼sseldorf on the back of a three-game winning streak after opening the season with an 0-2 record... The Rhein Fire need to win to avoid a league record-tying 10th consecutive loss (Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, 1991)... Hamburg has allowed the fewest points in the opening half of the 2005 campaign (79), while the Fire has given up the most (131)... Hamburg leads the league in pass attempts (172), completions (105), yards (1,130) and touchdowns (7) but they have given up an NFLEL-high 17 sacks... Hamburg is averaging a league-low 3.8 yards per rush, while the Rhein Fire ranks second in that department with an average of 4.7 yards per carry... Hamburg ranks first in run defense, allowing 74.8 yards per game, but sixth in pass defense with 229 yards allowed per outing... Hamburg leads NFL Europe with a +12 turnover ratio (16 takeaways to 4 giveaways)... Rhein ranks second in NFL Europe with an average of 13.25 yards per pass completion but also leads the league with 9 interceptions... Hamburg's quarterbacks have thrown a league-low 3 picks in 2005... Hamburg's defense has forced a league-high 13 fumbles through five games, recovering 8 of them... Rhein is the only NFLEL team this season not to score a touchdown on a return or recovery... Hamburg ranks third in NFLEL in average time of possession (31:10), while Rhein ranks fifth (28:54)... In last meeting between the teams in Week 3, the Sea Devils opened up a 31-0 lead, scoring touchdowns through WR RICKY BRYANT (New England Patriots), TE BOBBY BLIZZARD (Atlanta Falcons), RB ZACK ABRON (Chicago Bears) and WR TERRANCE METCALF (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The Fire scored 24 unanswered points in the second half as QB SCOTT McBRIEN (Green Bay Packers) threw for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushed for a 43-yard score. But they couldn't complete the comeback and the Sea Devils hung on for their first win in franchise history.

FRANKFURT GALAXY (2-3) at

AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (3-2)

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam. Sunday May 8, 3:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Frankfurt leads 12-9 (Frankfurt leads 1-0 in post-season)

At Amsterdam: Amsterdam leads 7-3

At Frankfurt: Frankfurt leads 9-2

Streak: Frankfurt 1

This season: Amsterdam 14 at Frankfurt 23 (Week 2)

TELEVISION

US: LIVE/DirecTV (9:00 a.m. ET)

Play-by-play announcer ARI WOLFE is joined in the booth by former San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears quarterback ERIK KRAMER.

COACHES

MIKE JONES is in his second season in charge of the Galaxy and has a 9-6 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. BART ANDRUS is in his fifth season as head coach of the Admirals and has moved up to seventh all-time with 20 regular season victories following Amsterdam's solid start to the 2005 campaign. Won a World Bowl ring as offensive coordinator of the Rhein Fire in 2000.

GAME NOTES

The resumption of a rivalry in which home teams usually dominate takes place this weekend. While Frankfurt has won 9 of 11 meetings between the teams in Germany, Amsterdam has won 7 of 10 regular season games played in the Netherlands, although the Galaxy did win a World Bowl '95 meeting between the teams in Holland... Amsterdam boasts NFL Europe's top-ranked offense (367 yards per game), while the Galaxy defense ranks sixth in the league, allowing 352.2 yards per contest... The Admirals league-leading rushing attack (147 yards per game) faces a Galaxy defensive unit ranked sixth in NFLEL against the run (158.2 yards per game)... Amsterdam is averaging a league-high 6.2 yards per offensive play, 14.01 yards per pass completion and 5.4 yards per running play... The Admirals have scored a league-high 14 touchdowns this season... The Galaxy defensive line â ranked second in NFL Europe with 11 sacks in five games â will look to pressure an Admirals front that has given up just 7 sacks in the first half of the season... Frankfurt has been penalized a league-high 55 times... Amsterdam has been flagged the fewest number of times (43)... The Admirals rank second in NFLEL with 122 points scored, while the Galaxy rank sixth with 77 points in five games... Frankfurt ranks second in NFLEL with a kickoff return average of 21.5 and lead the league by allowing opponents just 15.5 yards per kickoff return... In the previous meeting between the teams in 2005, the Admirals jumped out to a 14-0 lead as QB GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR RUVELL MARTIN (San Diego Chargers) and JARRETT PAYTON (Tennessee Titans) scored on a 20-yard run. The Galaxy countered with 23 unanswered points to take the game. QB AKILI SMITH (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) scored on an 8-yard run, as did RB AHMAAD GALLOWAY (San Diego Chargers). QB KEVIN EAKIN (New York Jets) threw a 6-yard TD pass to TE MARK ANELLI (Atlanta Falcons).

BERLIN THUNDER (4-1) at

COLOGNE CENTURIONS (3-2)

RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne. Sunday May 8, 4:00 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

Overall: Series tied at 1-1

At Cologne: Cologne leads 1-0

At Berlin: Berlin leads 1-0

Streak: Cologne 1

Last season: Cologne 31 at Berlin 35; Berlin 27 at Cologne 28

COACHES

RICK LANTZ has won 14 of his 16 games in charge of the Berlin Thunder (including World Bowl XII) and his regular season winning percentage of .866 (13-2) is second in the all-time rankings behind Larry Kennan (.900 London Monarchs, 1991)... PETER VAAS coached the Berlin Thunder from 2000-2003, becoming the only head coach in league history to guide a team to back-to-back World Bowl victories in 2001-2002.

GAME NOTES

Berlin is on top of the NFL Europe League standings after five weeks knowing 11 of the previous 12 halfway mark leaders in any season have gone on to reach World Bowl... Berlin has won 15 of its last 17 games dating back to Week 10 of the 2003 campaign (including World Bowl XII and a league record-tying 9 in a row at home, matching the mark set by the 1995-96 Amsterdam Admirals)... Four of Berlin's five games this season have been decided inside the two-minute warning... The Centurions have dropped two games in a row after opening the season with a 3-0 record... Berlin has scored a league-high 129 points this season and jointly leads the league with 14 touchdowns scored (Amsterdam)... Cologne ranks fourth in total offense and sixth in yards per offensive play (5.0) but they lead the league in average time of possession (31:56)... Cologne ranks second in the league in third down efficiency (41.0 percent ) behind Berlin (42.4)... The Centurions lead NFL Europe in total defense through the first half of the season, allowing 275 yards per game... Cologne leads NFL Europe with 12 quarterback sacks... Berlin quarterbacks are completing 60.9 per cent of their passes (second in NFLEL), while Centurions passers are hitting on 51.6 per cent of their attempts (sixth in NFLEL)... Cologne's quarterbacks have thrown 6 interceptions in the past two games after throwing zero in the opening three weeks of the season... Berlin leads NFL Europe with 10 interceptions. Cologne's defense has 1 interception in five games... The Centurions were held below 20 points for the first time this season during last week's loss at Hamburg... Berlin has scored at least 27 points in four of five games this term... Last season's series between the two teams was split. Berlin emerged victorious by a 35-31 scoreline in Week 3 as QB ROHAN DAVEY (New England Patriots) threw for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns... In the return meeting in Week 6, the Centurions handed Berlin their only loss of the 2004 campaign as QB RYAN VAN DYKE (New York Giants) lofted a 1-yard touchdown pass to WR CARL MORRIS (Miami Dolphins) with one second remaining to give Cologne a 28-27 win.

Â· WEEK FIVE RECAP Â·

Amsterdam Admirals 16, Berlin Thunder 27

(Olympic Stadium, Berlin. Attendance: 16,109)

Dave Ragone (Ber) 178 passing yards, 1 TD

Kurt Kittner (Ams) 283 passing yards, 1 TD

Jermaine Mays (Ber) 100-yard interception return TD

Rhein Fire 20, Frankfurt Galaxy 23

(Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt. Attendance: 27,439)

Joe Smith (Rhe) 152 rushing yards, 1 TD

Ahmaad Galloway (Fra) 117 rushing yards

Brock Edwards (Fra) 3 receptions, 16 yards, 2 TD

Cologne Centurions 6, Hamburg Sea Devils 23

(AOL Arena, Hamburg. Attendance: 15,228)

Chris Lewis (Col) 239 passing yards, 2 interceptions

Zack Abron (Ham) 65 rushing yards, 1 TD

Nick McNeil (Ham) 28-yard interception return TD

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National Football League Europa Stories from May 3, 2005

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