After an opening-week tie, Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (0-1-0) will host the 1-0 Cologne Crocodiles this Saturday in an early-season GFL North Division clash.
In their matchup with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes last week, the Lions carried a 14-0 lead into the fourth quarter but conceded a pair of touchdowns and came out with a disappointing tie. Cologne on the other hand exploded for 48 points in a 48-21 win over the Dusseldorf Panther.
Last season these two teams split the series with Braunschweig winning the first game on the road, 43-28 but dropping the home game
Braunschweig quarterback Jakob Parks had a somewhat shaky performance in his debut with the Lions, finishing 21/42 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but this is to be expected for any player in his first game in a new country. The 23-year-old American spent four years at the University of South Dakota before spending last season at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. Christian Bollmann and Mika Wickinger were the receivers who caught touchdown passes for Braunschweig, while Isaiah Woods led the team in yards with 52. On the ground, running back Abedi Bawa carried the ball 18 times for 75 yards. With so many newcomers on the roster, the Lions no doubt needed that game to build chemistry ahead of this week. Ending an American football game in a tie is always a strange feeling, and coach Troy Tomlin and his Lions are determined to put that behind them and get a win at home this week.
Last week, the Crocodiles took down the Dusseldorf Panther 48-21 in a very strong opening outing, their first game under new head coach David Odenthal. The Cologne offense came out firing, putting up 28 points in the first half, and did not slow down the rest of the way. Quarterback Christian Strong, a veteran Canadian signal caller, had an incredibly efficient day, completing 20 of 23 passes for 237 yards and four touchdowns while not throwing an interception.
His favorite target was another veteran import, Aaron Jackson, who finished with seven catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a strong start to the season. Jarvis McClam also had a nice day, recording six catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns. The Crocodiles offense was far from one-dimensional, though, as they racked up 162 rushing yards, led by Sergej Kendus’ 105 yards on 18 carries. The Crocs’ defense limited Dusseldorf to just 12 rushing yards of their own, which allowed them to focus on stopping the opposing passing attack.
In order to get a victory at home, Braunschweig will have to find a way to slow down Strong and the Cologne passing attack, while also increasing their own offensive output. It is still very early in the season, and it is hard to predict such matchups, so this game is shaping up to be a very entertaining matchup.
