US: Falcons to face Patriots in Super Bowl LI

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK

The Atlanta Falcons will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI (51), after both teams won their NFL conference championships games Sunday.

The Falcons seized the National Football Conference title by easily handling the red hot Green Bay Packers 44-21 in a fitting farewell to their home field at the Georgia Dome where they have played in since the 1992 season.

Quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns, while star wide receiver Julio Jones hauled in nine receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

The win gave the Falcons their second conference championship since 1998, when they went on to lose Super Bowl XXXIII (33) to the Denver Broncos.

The Patriots had just as easy as a time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the American Football Conference championship game.

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady threw for a personal career postseason high and franchise record 384 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-17 win.

Wide receiver Chris Hogan caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots will play in their seventh Super Bowl since 2001.

After the game, the 39-year-old Brady stressed the "mental toughness" he and his team showed throughout the season after the star quarterback and four-time Super Bowl champion was suspended for the first four games of the season.

The Falcons went 11-5 during the regular season and the Patriots had a league best 14-2 record.

But Atlanta does not appear to be intimidated by the Patriots, who have set the mark of excellence in the NFL over the course of nearly two decades.

"We will be confident for sure," Ryan said following his team's win.

Ryan and Brady are favorites to win the league’s Most Valuable Player Award that will be announced Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl.

When they kickoff in Houston for the game, it will be the first time the Falcons and Patriots will face each other in a Super Bowl.

The two teams last went head-to-head Sept. 29, 2013, in Atlanta, where the Patriots won 30-23.