{"id":10410,"date":"2017-01-22T22:32:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T06:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday\/"},"modified":"2017-01-22T22:32:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-23T06:32:00","slug":"atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots To Meet On Super Bowl Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-style:italic;font-size:16px\">By  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/01\/23\/511151790\/atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday?utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=sports\">The Associated Press<\/a><\/span>  <\/p>\n<p>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 game. He wants the next one even more.<\/p>\n<p>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 Sunday, a showing that erased any doubts about whether Ryan can win the big games.<\/p>\n<p>In his ninth season, he&#8217;s finally headed to his first Super Bowl.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll enjoy it because it&#8217;s hard to get to this point. I know that from experience,&#8221; Ryan said. &#8220;But our ultimate goal is still in front of us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Falcons (13-5) will face Tom Brady and the Patriots on Feb. 5 in Houston, just the second Super Bowl appearance in Atlanta&#8217;s 51-year history. Eighteen years ago, they lost to Denver in John Elway&#8217;s final game.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns, but it was his 14-yard scoring run \u2014 his first TD on the ground since 2012 \u2014 that really set the tone .<\/p>\n<p>Jones was right in the middle of things, too. After barely practicing during the week because of a lingering toe injury, he finished off the Packers with a 73-yard catch-and-run on Atlanta&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<div><span>Article continues after <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/about-npr\/186948703\/corporate-sponsorship\">sponsorship<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a beast,&#8221; Ryan said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been lucky to play with him as long as I have. He was impressive today. I know he wasn&#8217;t feeling his best, but he&#8217;s a warrior.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan sparked more delirious chants of &#8220;MVP! MVP! MVP!&#8221; 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&#8217;s Legion of Boom last week.<\/p>\n<p>The Packers, riding an eight-game winning streak and coming off a thrilling upset of the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys , got a taste of what they&#8217;d be in for on Atlanta&#8217;s very first possession. Driving 80 yards in 13 plays, the Falcons converted three third downs, the last when Ryan scrambled away from pressure and flipped a shovel pass to Mohamed Sanu for a 2-yard score.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tom Brady&#8217;s redemption tour is headed to the Super Bowl.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After beginning the 2016 season suspended for four games for his role in the &#8220;Deflategate&#8221; scandal, the New England quarterback relentlessly carried the Patriots to an unprecedented ninth appearance in the title game, and his seventh.<\/p>\n<p>Brady threw for a franchise playoff-best 384 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-17 rout of the helpless Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in New England&#8217;s sixth consecutive AFC championship game.<\/p>\n<p>The Patriots, who have won nine in a row, are early 3-point favorites heading to face Atlanta in two weeks in Houston, seeking their fifth NFL title with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach. Belichick&#8217;s seventh appearance in a Super Bowl will be a record for a head coach.<\/p>\n<p>Brady was banned by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when New England (16-2) went 3-1 to open the schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Since his return in Week 5, the only defeat came at home to Seattle, and Brady, 39, had one of the best seasons of a Hall of Fame-caliber career.<\/p>\n<p>Brady&#8217;s main weapon was Chris Hogan. The previously unheralded receiver found open spaces everywhere on the field against a leaky secondary. Hogan caught nine balls for 180 yards and two scores.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been a long journey, but I&#8217;ve worked really hard to get to this point,&#8221; said the product of Monmouth &#8211; yes, Monmouth. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t be happier to get to be a part of this thing, this team &#8211; this whole thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Top wideout Julian Edelman added eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown as Brady tied Joe Montana&#8217;s playoff record with nine three-TD passing performances. Brady also had his 11th 300-yard postseason game, extending his NFL record, completing 32 of 42 throws.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We won a lot of different ways under a lot of different circumstances,&#8221; Brady said. &#8220;Mental toughness is what it is all about and this team has got it. We&#8217;ll see if we can write the perfect ending.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The ending for Pittsburgh (13-6) was anything but perfect. It lost star running back Le&#8217;Veon Bell late in the first quarter to a groin injury.<\/p>\n<p>That didn&#8217;t seem to matter much in a record 16th conference title match for the Steelers, who made mistakes in every facet of Sunday&#8217;s game. The 19-point loss ended their nine-game winning streak.<\/p>\n<p>The franchise that has won the most Super Bowls, six, and the most postseason games, 36, never seemed likely to challenge in the misty rain.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/\">Let&#8217;s block ads!<\/a><\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\">(Why?)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Source:: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/01\/23\/511151790\/atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday?utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=sports\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots To Meet On Super Bowl Sunday\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/01\/23\/511151790\/atlanta-falcons-new-england-patriots-to-meet-on-super-bowl-sunday?utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=sports<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 game. He wants the next one even more.<\/p>\n<p>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 Sunday, a showing that erased any doubts about whether Ryan can win the big games.<\/p>\n<p>In his ninth season, he&#8217;s finally headed to his first Super Bowl.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll enjoy it because it&#8217;s hard to get to this point. I know that from experience,&#8221; Ryan said. &#8220;But our ultimate goal is still in front of us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Falcons (13-5) will face Tom Brady and the Patriots on Feb. 5 in Houston, just the second Super Bowl appearance in Atlanta&#8217;s 51-year history. Eighteen years ago, they lost to Denver in John Elway&#8217;s final game.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns, but it was his 14-yard scoring run \u2014 his first TD on the ground since 2012 \u2014 that really set the tone .<\/p>\n<p>Jones was right in the middle of things, too. After barely practicing during the week because of a lingering toe injury, he finished off the Packers with a 73-yard catch-and-run on Atlanta&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<div><span>Article continues after <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/about-npr\/186948703\/corporate-sponsorship\">sponsorship<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a beast,&#8221; Ryan said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been lucky to play with him as long as I have. He was impressive today. I know he wasn&#8217;t feeling his best, but he&#8217;s a warrior.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan sparked more delirious chants of &#8220;MVP! MVP! MVP!&#8221; 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&#8217;s Legion of Boom last week.<\/p>\n<p>The Packers, riding an eight-game winning streak and coming off a thrilling upset of the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys , got a taste of what they&#8217;d be in for on Atlanta&#8217;s very first possession. Driving 80 yards in 13 plays, the Falcons converted three third downs, the last when Ryan scrambled away from pressure and flipped a shovel pass to Mohamed Sanu for a 2-yard score.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tom Brady&#8217;s redemption tour is headed to the Super Bowl.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After beginning the 2016 season suspended for four games for his role in the &#8220;Deflategate&#8221; scandal, the New England quarterback relentlessly carried the Patriots to an unprecedented ninth appearance in the title game, and his seventh.<\/p>\n<p>Brady threw for a franchise playoff-best 384 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-17 rout of the helpless Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in New England&#8217;s sixth consecutive AFC championship game.<\/p>\n<p>The Patriots, who have won nine in a row, are early 3-point favorites heading to face Atlanta in two weeks in Houston, seeking their fifth NFL title with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach. Belichick&#8217;s seventh appearance in a Super Bowl will be a record for a head coach.<\/p>\n<p>Brady was banned by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when New England (16-2) went 3-1 to open the schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Since his return in Week 5, the only defeat came at home to Seattle, and Brady, 39, had one of the best seasons of a Hall of Fame-caliber career.<\/p>\n<p>Brady&#8217;s main weapon was Chris Hogan. The previously unheralded receiver found open spaces everywhere on the field against a leaky secondary. Hogan caught nine balls for 180 yards and two scores.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been a long journey, but I&#8217;ve worked really hard to get to this point,&#8221; said the product of Monmouth &#8211; yes, Monmouth. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t be happier to get to be a part of this thing, this team &#8211; this whole thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Top wideout Julian Edelman added eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown as Brady tied Joe Montana&#8217;s playoff record with nine three-TD passing performances. Brady also had his 11th 300-yard postseason game, extending his NFL record, completing 32 of 42 throws.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We won a lot of different ways under a lot of different circumstances,&#8221; Brady said. &#8220;Mental toughness is what it is all about and this team has got it. We&#8217;ll see if we can write the perfect ending.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The ending for Pittsburgh (13-6) was anything but perfect. It lost star running back Le&#8217;Veon Bell late in the first quarter to a groin injury.<\/p>\n<p>That didn&#8217;t seem to matter much in a record 16th conference title match for the Steelers, who made mistakes in every facet of Sunday&#8217;s game. The 19-point loss ended their nine-game winning streak.<\/p>\n<p>The franchise that has won the most Super Bowls, six, and the most postseason games, 36, never seemed likely to challenge in the misty rain.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/\">Let&#8217;s block ads!<\/a><\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\">(Why?)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports-recreation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10410\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}