Local football players favor Eagles in Super Bowl LVII
Last week, I spoke with eight local football players to get their thoughts on Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some don't think the game will even be close, some think the Cincinnati Bengals should be in the championship, and all but one favor the Eagles.
Here's what they had to say:
Parker Atkinson, Marine City ’24
“It’s a toss up…but I just think the Eagles are a little bit more talented than the Chiefs. They have more weapons, their quarterback is pretty good, and he’s got a really good backfield.”
Because of that Atkinson predicts the Eagles will win 38-35.
“I think it’ll be an offensive shootout. The Eagles have a really great offense, and I know they have a really good defense, but I think Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl is going to score a lot of points. He’s got a lot of heart.”
Atkinson that while Mahomes might not be 100% healthy, he still thinks the quarterback will have an impact on the game.
And Atkinson’s favorite NFL player is former Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.
“He was probably one of my favorite players to watch. He was just aggressive. He wasn’t afraid to make the big play or big hit. He was a big-play type of guy, he wasn’t afraid of the moment.”
Blake Barr, Yale ’24
“I feel like it’d be a lot closer if Patrick Mahomes was healthier, but I’d still lean toward the Eagles. They’ve been playing pretty well.”
Barr predicts the Eagles to win 35-27. And while he said he doesn’t follow the NFL super closely, he says he’s a Lions fan, noting two players on the team that he enjoys watching:
“I don’t have a favorite [player] but there are a couple I like. I like the Lions so I like Jared Goff. And Penei Sewell, he’s a fun one to watch.”
Will Damaska, North Branch ’23
“I’m excited for the Super Bowl. I think both teams have crazy good offenses. I’ve always been a big Jalen Hurts fan, so I’m excited to see him match up against Patrick Mahomes.”
Damaksa predicts Hurts will lead the Eagles to a 34-21 victory.
“I’ve always liked Jalen Hurts…He’s got a nice, quiet confidence. He can throw the ball well and run the ball super well. I like him over Patrick Mahomes any day of the week, but that’s probably an unpopular opinion.”
A quarterback himself, Damaska said Hurts is his favorite player in the league right now, although it wasn’t always that way.
“Probably right now, Jalen Hurts is my favorite. I was a big Matthew Stafford guy when he played for Detroit, but I’d say Jalen Hurts is number one now. Stafford left the Lions, which was a little bittersweet."
Blake Esselink, Richmond ’23
“First of all, I still think it should be the Bengals and the Eagles, but for Chiefs-Eagles, if a fully healthy Patrick Mahomes plays, the Chiefs will take this one.”
Esselink might be in the minority with his prediction, especially as he thinks the Chiefs will manage an overwhelming 38-21 victory.
“I haven’t heard anything that [Mahomes] won’t be [healthy] and he looked pretty good last week against the Bengals, so give him an extra week to prepare and I think he’ll be ready.”
Plus, Kansas City still has tight end Travis Kelce, noted Esselink.
“Just having Kelce on the field is obviously a big advantage, and they’ve got a stud O-line group and can run the ball with whoever they have in the game.”
Unfortunately for Esselink, neither of his favorite NFL players will be making an appearance in Arizona this weekend.
“My favorite NFL player weirdly enough is De’Vondre Campbell, the linebacker for the Packers, and the player I look up to most is Harrison Smith for the Vikings. I kind of see myself as his type, like I can do the same things he does and I try to base the things I do off of what I see him doing.”
Drew Keding, Armada ’25
“I don’t think it’ll even be close. I’ll say 34-20, Eagles. I feel like the Eagles defense is so good and the Chiefs are missing a lot of wide receivers, so I think it’ll just be too much for them.”
Keding said he’s a pretty big NFL fan, and his favorite team is the Detroit Lions.
“You’ve got to go with the Lions. I liked their season, it was fun. At first, it was a little rough but at the end, I was excited. I’m excited about next year.”
And while Keding may not favor his team in the big game, Travis Kelce is his favorite player.
“I like Travis Kelce, I feel like he’s best in the league and he’s fun to watch. It’s pretty cool that he’ll be playing against his brother.”
Jayden Krosnicki, Yale ’24
“The Chiefs are looking pretty good, but I just don’t see anybody stopping the Eagles right now, so I’m going to have to say 38-31 Eagles. “
Krosnicki noted Philadelphia’s offensive line as being key in the victory.
“I love their offensive line and their quarterback is just playing out of his mind right now. Those factors can be really crucial in a game, especially with the offensive line – the front five. Their blocking is good and they’ve got a lot of good, physical, team-player O-linemen up front like Jason Kelce.”
Jason Kelce also happens to be one of Krosnicki’s favorite players.
“He’s my inspiration because he’s a center and I’m a center too, so he’s one of the guys I look up to. He’s a good leader and a really good blocker. He takes control of the line of scrimmage, which gives Jalen Hurts time in the pocket and Miles Sanders good running room and all that good stuff.”
Joey Ramsey, Croswell-Lexington ’24
“I personally think that the Bengals should’ve been in it, but I think that the Eagles are probably going to be the ones to pull it off because they’ve got Jalen Hurts as a dual-threat quarterback and I just don’t see the Chiefs stopping him.”
Ramsey said he thinks the game will be high-scoring and come down to a late field goal, with the Eagles pulling off a 37-34 victory.
And while he’s more of a college football fan, he still enjoys the NFL, saying Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald.
“He’s a big guy and that’s the position I play and he gets after it.”
Grant Westrick, Marine City ’24
“I think it’s going to be a pretty good matchup. I was pretty pleased with the four NFC and AFC championship teams. I thought they’d all have a shot to go to the championship. I think the Eagles are going to do it.”
But it’ll be close, according to Westrick who puts Philadelphia ahead by a narrow 24-21.
“I think Jalen Hurts is going to do it. I think his run game helps and he’s been developing in the passing game. I think he’s doing a great job and I like his determination. He got benched like three times during college and now he’s a starter taking his team to the Super Bowl.”
And because of that, Westrick said Hurts is one of the players in the NFL he looks up to the most, along with former Cardinals defensive end, J.J. Watt.
Who do you think will win Super Bowl LVII?
Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles