ATLANTA -- When QB Matt Ryan scrambled around a defender and dove headfirst into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown, you knew it was the Atlanta Falcons' time.
And Ryan's emphatic spike after that second-quarter score should have served as a slap in the face to all the doubters out there -- those who never thought the 31-year-old quarterback could elevate his team to the next level. Ryan's shoulders look rather broad these days as he helped carry the Falcons all the way to the Super Bowl.
The Falcons' 44-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game certainly thrusts Ryan into the category of the elite, if the likely NFL MVP wasn't there already. Ryan masterfully directed the league's top-scoring offense to yet another dominant performance, one that included a heavy dose of the familiar connection between Ryan and top receiver Julio Jones. Ryan completed 27 of 38 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns Sunday.
"I feel exactly the same," Ryan said about being a Super Bowl quarterback now. "I'm happy. I'm happy for everybody in our organization. We've worked hard to get to this point. But the challenge is still in front of us. What we set out to accomplish is still in front of us. We'll enjoy it because it's hard to get to this point. I know that from experience. It's really difficult to get to this point. And we'll enjoy the buildup and the process leading to it, but our ultimate goal is still in front of us."
Of course, Ryan was serenaded with the home crowd's chants of "MVP, MVP." The award is all but certain to come his direction the night before the Super Bowl, when the NFL's awards will be announced. But there's a much bigger prize that Ryan and his teammates are eyeing, one that seems well within their grasp after what appeared to be insurmountable odds to start the season.
Yes, the Falcons shouldn't be comfortable about being one of two teams in Houston for this year's Super Bowl. They should have every belief that they can walk away with the title, whether the opponent is the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots or the Ben Roethlisberger-guided Pittsburgh Steelers. Not too many opponents can keep up with the variety of weapons Ryan has at his disposal or outsmart the mastermind behind the playcalling, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who could become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers after the Super Bowl.
There's no real secret to success. It's about Ryan using his full arsenal, as he did once again Sunday by completing passes to eight receivers. It's about mixing it up on offense: Shanahan had wide receiver Mohamed Sanu run out of the Wildcat on one play, and Ryan hit Sanu with a 2-yard shovel pass for a touchdown on another. And it's about feeding your best threat, Jones, who showed little signs of a lingering toe sprain on a 73-yard, catch-and-run touchdown on his way to a nine-catch, 180-yard game.
But it's not just about the unstoppable offense, which is good news for the Falcons. It's also about a young defense that has come of age at the right time and is poised enough to be unfazed by the bright lights of the Super Bowl. The Falcons wouldn't have been able to build momentum to win the NFC championship without cornerback Jalen Collins stripping Packers fullback Aaron Ripkowski in the red zone and Collins recovering the fumble in the end zone. The turnover helped set up Ryan's touchdown scamper and turned what could have been a 10-7 game into a 17-0 Falcons lead.
The Falcons wouldn't have been able to build momentum against the Packers without coach Dan Quinn and his staff dialing up a blitz at the right time, sending speedy rookie linebacker Deion Jones at Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a third-down play that got Rodgers & Co. off the field on their first possession. The complexion of the game might have been much different if the Packers had answered the Falcons' opening score with one of their own.
Being opportunistic on defense is sure to be a key element for the Falcons in the Super Bowl, particularly considering how much Quinn emphasizes "the ball" and winning the turnover battle.
"The more you play together and gain experience together, the faster you can play," Quinn said of the defense. "So we're playing faster now than we did earlier in the season. And our speed hasn't changed in terms of we didn't go lower our 40 times. But because of our communication, because of the style and attitude that we're able to play with, we're able to play faster."
The next step for the Falcons is keeping up to speed and keeping a sense of normalcy despite what is sure to be an abnormal schedule leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. Quinn has preached to his team over and over about having the same type of preparation each and every week.
Either the Patriots or Steelers better be well-prepared themselves.
The Falcons are coming.