For the record, the “Dutch Lion” wants to make a prediction for Super Bowl 52. So here we go with a quick Preview of this year’s NFL Championship up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last year I wrote about Nate Ebner and Malcolm Mitchell from New England. They are still with the Patriots but both are injured and will not be playing this year. Nevertheless, I’m a big fan of several players that WILL be playing in this year’s game. All three are players that I’ve been following for years. I’ve had all three guys in my college fantasy league called “The Butkus League”. Trust me when I tell you that these players are special people who have traveled a long, arduous road to be playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
First of all, I absolutely love Patriots RB #34 Rex Burkhead. He’s a Nebraska guy. He wore #22 for the Huskers and you might argue he’s one of my favorite Huskers ever. He was not only a great player at Nebraska from 2009-2012, but he is also a great person. You might remember when Jack Hoffman, the 7-year-old boy with pediatric brain cancer got a chance to live out his dream by running the ball for a touchdown at the 2013 Nebraska Spring Game. Rex befriended the boy and was instrumental in setting up a charity to raise money for pediatric brain cancer in his name called the “Team Jack Foundation”. For more info, check out Team Jack’s website. So I’ll be cheering for Burkhead all my life. You won’t find many nicer NFL players, or people anywhere on the globe, than Rex Burkhead. Check him out wearing #34 for the “Boston” Patriots.
Another player I love and respect is Patriots WR #80 Danny Amendola. Danny is listed at 5-11 and 190 pounds, but you wonder to yourself, is he even that big? It’s doubtful, but it doesn’t matter because this kid just never quits. He is sneaky quick and runs good routes for Tom Brady out of the slot. It seems like whenever Brady needs a clutch play, he throws it to “Nemo” Amendola. He’s also a wonderful punt returner and a smart football player. There’s just something special about Danny Amendola. I’ve been saying it since I nabbed him back in his days at Texas Tech from 2004-07. To top it off, Danny shares a birthday with my son, November 2, although “Nemo” is 21 years older than Trev. Watch for Danny to make a big play or three on Super Sunday.
The third player I want to mention is Philadelphia QB #9 Nick Foles. I’m sure you’ve heard about Foles by now. He’s starting at QB for the Eagles only because wunderkind QB #11 Carson Wentz was injured late in the season. Somehow the team rallied around Foles and won two playoff games as a home underdog to both Atlanta and Minnesota to advance to Super Bowl LII. Foles has been around the block since graduating from the University of Arizona in 2012. He put up some big numbers in college for the Wildcats from 2009-2011. Then he was drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2012 NFL Draft by Philadelphia. After a fantastic Pro Bowl season in 2013 (27 TD and just 2 INT in 10 starts), he took a step back in ’14 and so Philly traded him to the St. Louis Rams in March of 2015. After a lousy soul-searching season with the Rams in ’15, he then went to Kansas City to be Alex Smith’s backup in ’16. Foles found himself back with the Eagles as Wentz’s backup this season. Lo and behold, life is funny, no? Probable NFL MVP Wentz goes down with the ol’ ACL and here comes Foles, back from the dead to lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl since 2004 against the………Patriots.
That one went New England’s way, as it usually does, by a field goal. The Pats won 24-21 thirteen years ago. (I recall predicting that week that Tom Brady and New England would never win another Super Bowl. Uhhh, I was wrong. Of course, I wasn’t the “Dutch Lion” back then so…….) This time, history reverses course. Gotta go “Back in Time” as Huey Lewis once sang (What a horrible video by the way. Check it out below. It’s God-Awful!) Both teams average about 28 points per game while allowing about 18 ppg. So let’s average those numbers out and predict about 23 points a piece. New England is favored by 4.5 points as of Saturday in most Las Vegas sports books. The “Dutch Lion” will take the “Iggles” in the upset, both ATS and S/U! Pick Phila (but beware of Rex and “Nemo”). Most of all, enjoy the game and festivities on Super Sunday!!!
Philadelphia Eagles 24 New England Patriots 23
Dutch Lion Sports 
Oh yes…Nick Foles came “full circle” from that promising debut in Philly a few years back to winning this season’s Super Bowl with ’em. Guy was truly on the verge of retirement but good ol’ Andy Reid convinced him to give it a go again in KC. Who knew Andy would eventually have something to do with the Eagles winning a Super Bowl after all! At the time Nick’s re-acquisition wasn’t met with great cheer but the cheers for him now continue on long after the game’s final play. Still celebrating here!
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That’s really interesting. I hadn’t thought about that……the Andy Reid factor. Great stuff. I’m a big fan of Nick Foles and very happy for him and his family.
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