ATLANTA -- When Matt Ryan scrambled around a defender and dove head first into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown, you knew it was the Atlanta Falcons' time.
And the emphatic spike Ryan completed after the second-quarter score should have served as 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.
A 44-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday certainly thrusts Ryan into the category of the elite, if the likely NFL MVP wasn't there already.