The late games in the Sunday window offered a lot excitement for different reasons. Let's dive right in!

Cologne Centurions (1-3) at Rhein Fire (5-1) 9-62

The numerous spectators who found their way to the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg saw an entertaining game in which Rhein Fire quickly took command.

Rhein Fire relied heavily on their running game around star player Glen Toonga (116 yards, four touchdowns). At the same time, however, they also managed to catch the Cologne defense off guard with running plays for their wide receivers. As an example, Kelvin McKnight Jr. took two carries for 106 yards. In total, they accumulated over 400 (!) rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the defense had a good day at work. It was characterized by solid tackling and hardly any coordination errors, making it tough for the Centurions to get anything going. In total, Rhein Fire forced three turnovers and another one on special teams.

The highlight of the day was the touchdown by offensive lineman Sven Breidenbach. The veteran went up like a wide receiver and plucked the ball out of the air, all while keeping his feet inbounds.

Next week, the Centurions will travel to Fankfurt to face the Galaxy, Rhein Fire will face the Sea Devils in Hamburg. 

Prague Lions (0-6) at Panthers Wrocław (2-4) 3-14

With a new head coach (Craig Kuligowski took over this week), the Panthers have found their way back to success. On the way to their third win of the season, they had to hold their own against a courageous Prague Lions team and suffered a few road bumps. 

Returnee Matthew Vitale directed an offense that struggled to find a rhythm. The veteran, who was also unveiled as a new signing this week, struggled in the passing game against a good Lions defense. He completed 9 of his 19 passes for 54 yards. The running game also rarely got rolling. 32 attempts resulted in only 116 rushing yards.

To read the recap for the early window, click here.

However, the Lions failed to capitalize on offense. Quarterback David Perkins, who was signed this week, was often the lone threat on offense and was put under constant pressure by the defense. He was sacked eleven times, with four sacks coming from Krzysztof Wisis. 

In week 8, Prague will face the Fehérvár Enthroners, with both teams hoping to get their first victory of the season. Meanwhile, the Panthers will get a well deserved bye week.