Rhein Fire overwhelm Rams behind Bahar’s five-touchdown performance

The Rhein Fire (4-1) closed out the first half of the American Football League Europe season in emphatic fashion Sunday, cruising to a 45-13 victory over the Alpine Rams (1-4) in Biel, Switzerland. Quarterback Kenji Bahar threw for 362 yards and five touchdowns as Rhein Fire built a massive first-half lead before easing through the final two quarters in extreme heat.

Fire seize control early

The visitors wasted no time taking command.

Bahar marched Rhein Fire 60 yards on the opening drive before finding Jonathan Scott for a three-yard touchdown. On the very next offensive play, Justin Howell intercepted the Rams, giving the visitors another short field.

From there, the lead only grew.

Bahar connected with Tim Sauerland on a 26-yard touchdown before Sebastian Van Santen added a 37-yard field goal. Joshua Scott hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass, Marvellous Imade scored on a 12-yard run, and Sauerland caught his second touchdown of the day on a 38-yard strike as Rhein Fire stormed into halftime with a commanding 38-0 lead.

Defense sets the tone

While Bahar and the offense piled up points, the defense made life miserable for Alpine.

Howell’s early interception sparked the rout, while Nazir Streater added two interceptions of his own as the Rams struggled to sustain drives. Alpine repeatedly failed to convert on third down, allowing Rhein Fire to dominate possession and consistently capitalize on favorable field position.

The balanced performance on offense, defense and special teams left little doubt about the outcome long before halftime.

Rams finish on a positive note

To their credit, the Rams responded after the break.

Lionel Bangala scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to put the home team on the board before Bahar threw his fifth touchdown pass of the afternoon, finding Leon Höltker from seven yards out.

Kevin Kaya later caught a 14-yard touchdown pass for Alpine’s second score as both teams agreed to play the second half with a running clock because of the 97-degree (36°C) temperatures.

The victory sends Rhein Fire into its bye week with a 4-1 record and plenty of momentum, while the Rams will use the break to regroup after falling to 1-4.