Matt Ryan looked very much like an MVP, and the Atlanta Falcons are headed to the NFC championship game.

Ryan threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a 36-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round Saturday.

Ryan’s dominance was enough to spark a confrontation between the Seahawks’ defensive end Michael Bennett and a reporter. After the reporter said Seattle weren’t able to pressure the quarterback, Bennett lost his temper.

“We got a lot of pressure,” Bennett said. “He threw the ball really fast. There was some busted stuff going on so obviously you don’t know football. He threw the ball pretty fast. He did his thing. We rushed as good as we could. Don’t point and say we didn’t do what we needed to do, OK? Don’t do that.

“Don’t tell me I didn’t do my job, motherfucker,” Bennett added. “Get the fuck out of my face. Like I said, get out of my face. Don’t play with me. Don’t play with me. I just put my heart on the fucking field ... Try me again, see what happens.”

Bennett was not the only Seahawk to let off steam after the game. Safety Earl Thomas, who is currently recovering from a season ending injury, went on Twitter to aim a shot at Tom Brady. The quarterback had led the New England Patriots past a weak Houston Texans team in Saturday’s other game. “Tom Brady has the easiest route... put his ass in our division and see what he does!!!” wrote Thomas. The Seahawks beat the Patriots earlier this season, something that Thomas also referenced. “Did you watch the game this year I owned Tom Brady!! That BS you showing I was hurt trying to help my team,” he tweeted later.

Tom Brady has the easiest route... put his ass in our division and see what he does!!! #salty!! — Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) January 15, 2017

Atlanta will face either the Dallas Cowboys or the Green Bay Packers, who meet Sunday in the NFC’s other divisional game.



After the Seahawks zipped down the field for a touchdown on the opening possession, Atlanta’s young defense largely shut down Russell Wilson & co the rest of the way.

Ryan and the high-scoring Falcons took it from there – getting a huge boost from a holding penalty that wiped out an 80-yard punt return by Devin Hester.

Ryan hooked up with Julio Jones on a seven-yard touchdown and Tevin Coleman for a 14-yard score before finishing off the Seahawks with a three-yard toss to Mohamed Sanu in the corner of the end zone with just under four minutes remaining, sparking a raucous chant of “MVP! MVP! MVP!” from a Georgia Dome crowd that stood most of the game, giving the Falcons the sort of home-field advantage that Seattle is used to having at the Link.

Before a foot injury limited him in the second half, Jones made life miserable for Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, who got away with an apparent pass interference penalty on Atlanta’s star receiver when the teams met during the regular season, preserving a 26-24 victory for the Seahawks.

Jones was targeted eight times, coming up with six receptions for 67 yards to set a tone that Atlanta would not be intimidate by the Legion of Boom.

But, as usual, Ryan spread the ball around to everyone. Speedy Taylor Gabriel had a 37-yard reception.

Running back Devonta Freeman slipped out of the backfield to haul in a 53-yard pass, putting a dazzling fake on replacement free safety Steven Terrell right in the middle of the field.

In all, eight players caught passes for Atlanta.

For only the fourth time in their 51-year history, the Falcons (12-5) will be playing for the conference title and a spot in the Super Bowl.

They made their only Super Bowl appearance during the 1998 season, falling to Denver in John Elway’s final game, and lost in the NFC title game during the 2004 and 2012 seasons.

The Seahawks (11-6-1) couldn’t follow up a dominating win over Detroit in the opening round, the game turning dramatically on a holding penalty in the second quarter that wiped out Hester’s return to the Atlanta 7.

Instead of having first-and-goal and a chance to extend a 10-7 lead, Seattle was backed up to its seven. After Thomas Rawls was thrown for a three-yard loss, Wilson attempted to drop back for a pass.

One problem: rookie right guard Rees Odhiambo, taking over after Germain Ifedi was injured, stepped back onto Wilson’s foot, sending the quarterback tumbling down in the end zone. Ben Garland fell on Wilson for a safety that turned the momentum Atlanta’s way.

Matt Bryant’s 35-yard field goal put the Falcons ahead to stay, and the home team closed out the first half with a 99-yard drive touchdown that was extended by Sanu’s brilliant, one-handed catch for 22 yards with Jeremy Lane grabbing at his arm.

After getting beat on Seattle’s first possession, an Atlanta defense featuring four rookies and a bunch of second-year players limited the Seahawks to a pair of a field goals before giving up a meaningless 31-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin in the closing minutes.