ATLANTA - 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.
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.
In his ninth season, he's finally headed to his first Super Bowl .
Call him Super Matty.
"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 Tom Brady and the Patriots on Feb 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.
New England, heading to its ninth Super Bowl, blew out Pittsburgh 36-17. The Patriots opened as a 3-point favourite.
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 finished with nine catches for 180 yards and two scores, which included a toe-dragging catch for a 5-yard touchdown with three seconds left in the first half, sending the Falcons to the locker room up 24-0.
Aaron Rodgers finished 27 of 45 for 287 yards and three TDs, but the Green Bay quarterback also threw an interception, was sacked twice and faced a relentless Falcons rush.
Meanwhile, Brady and coach Bill Belichick will be seeking their -- and the Patriots' -- fifth Lombardi Trophy, and second in three years. This will be the franchise's league-record ninth appearance in the Super Bowl.
The New England quarterback has broken his franchise record, passing for 384 yards and three touchdowns to power the Patriots to a 36-17 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brady has completed 32 of 42 passes, picking apart Pittsburgh's defence, often hitting wide open receivers who found plenty of room to move in Pittsburgh's zone defence.
Brady is about to improve to 5-0 at home against Pittsburgh.
Brady is 4-0 against Atlanta, completing 67% of his passes for 1,193 yards and nine touchdowns against just one interception.