Ryan stars as Falcons head to Super Bowl

Jan 23, 2017 - 3:13 AM Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan tumbled into the end zone, slammed the ball to the turf with a thunderous spike, and let out a scream that showed just how much he wanted this NFL game.

He wants the next one even more.

With another MVP-worthy performance and plenty of help from Julio Jones, Matty Ice guided the Atlanta Falcons to a 44-21 rout of the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship on Sunday, a showing that erased any doubts about whether Ryan can win the big games.

In his ninth season, he's finally headed to his first Super Bowl.

"We'll enjoy it because it's hard to get to this point. I know that from experience," Ryan said.

"But our ultimate goal is still in front of us."

The Falcons (13-5) will face New England on February 5 in Houston, just the second Super Bowl appearance in Atlanta's 51-year history.

Eighteen years ago, they lost to Denver in John Elway's final game.

Ryan threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns, but it was his 14-yard scoring run - his first TD on the ground since 2012 - that really set the tone.

Jones was right in the middle of things, too. After barely practising during the week because of a toe injury, he finished off the Packers with a 73-yard catch-and-run on Atlanta's second snap of the second half, pushing the lead to 31-0 and essentially turning the rest of the Georgia Dome finale into one long celebration.

"He's a beast," Ryan said.

"I've been lucky to play with him as long as I have. He was impressive today. I know he wasn't feeling his best, but he's a warrior."

Jones finished with nine catches for 180 yards and two scores, which included a toe-dragging catch for a 5-yard touchdown with 3 seconds left in the first half, sending the Falcons to the locker room up 24-0.

"I didn't practice that much throughout the week but today I came out and gave it all I had," Jones said.

Ryan sparked more delirious chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" as he carved up an injury-plagued Packers secondary that had no way of stopping a team that averaged nearly 34 points a game during the regular season and romped to a 36-20 victory against Seattle last week.

Source: AAP