2011 NFL Preview: Peter King Predicts Falcons over Chargers in Super Bowl XLVI
Posted: August 30, 2011 Filed under: Peter King, Sports Illustrated Cover, Weekly Issue | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, calvin pace, clay matthews, curtis lofton, dallas cowboys, demarcus ware, green bay packers, jerod mayo, lamarr woodley, New England Patriots, new york jets, nfl preview, pittsburgh steelers, super bowl prediction 2 Comments »Can senior NFL writer Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) correctly predict who plays in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row? King was on the money last year when he said the Packers and Steelers would reach football’s Promised Land. Now, after a four-week road trip through over 20 training camps, King predicts the Falcons will take down the Chargers, 24–20, in Super Bowl XLVI. This year’s NFL Preview also contains detailed scouting reports for every single team and a list of eight great matchups for every division.
The six regional covers for the Sept. 5 NFL Preview—on newsstands Wednesday—feature Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Calvin Pace (Jets), Curtis Lofton (Falcons), Lamarr Woodley (Steelers), Clay Matthews (Packers) and DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys). Below is the last time each team appeared on the cover and how many appearances they’ve had overall:
- Falcons: Sept. 6, 2010 (NFL Preview, regional cover); seventh appearance
- Patriots: Jan. 24, 2011 (divisional playoff loss to the Jets); 25th appearance
- Jets: Jan. 24, 2011 (divisional playoff win over the Patriots); 22nd appearance
- Steelers: Jan. 30, 2011 (AFC championship game win over the Jets); 39th appearance
- Packers: Feb. 14, 2011 (Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers); 36th appearance
- Cowboys: July 26, 2010 (Miles Austin/training camp); 48th appearance
PETER KING’S PREDICTIONS
REGULAR SEASON (page 70)
| AFC EAST | AFC NORTH | AFC SOUTH | AFC WEST |
| 1. Patriots (12–4) | 1. Steelers (10–6) | 1. Colts (10–6) | 1. Chargers (11–5) |
| 2. Jets (10–6)* | 2. Ravens (10–6)* | 2. Texans (9–7) | 2. Chiefs (8–8) |
| 3. Bills (7–9) | 3. Browns (8–8) | 3. Jaguars (7–9) | 3. Raiders (7–9) |
| 4. Dolphins (6–10) | 4. Bengals (3–13) | 4. Titans (6–10) | 4. Broncos (5–11) |
| NFC EAST | NFC NORTH | NFC SOUTH | NFC WEST |
| 1. Eagles (10–6) | 1. Packers (11–5) | 1. Saints (10–6) | 1. Rams (9–7) |
| 2. Cowboys (9–7) | 2. Lions (10–6)* | 2. Falcons (10–6)* | 2. Cardinals (7–9) |
| 3. Giants (9–7) | 3. Bears (8–8) | 3. Buccaneers (8–8) | 3. Seahawks (6–10) |
| 4. Redskins (5–11) | 4. Vikings (6–10) | 4. Panthers (4–12) | 4. 49ers (5–11) |
*Wild-card team
PLAYOFFS
| AFC WILD-CARD ROUND | NFC WILD-CARD ROUND |
| (5) Ravens 20, (4) Colts 17 | (5) Falcons 30, (4) Rams 20 |
| (3) Steelers 30, (6) Jets 20 | (3) Eagles 16, (6) Lions 10 |
| AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND | NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND |
| Ravens 23, (1) Patriots 21 | Falcons 27, (1) Packers 25 |
| (2) Chargers 16, Steelers (15) | (2) Saints 23, Eagles 17 |
| AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME |
| Chargers 22, Ravens 16 | Falcons 26, Saints 17 |
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SUPER BOWL XLVI |
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Falcons 24, Chargers 20 |
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