Falcons face Patriots in second Super Bowl in franchise history

For the second time in team history the Atlanta Falcons have advanced to the Super Bowl. The Falcons will travel to Houston to face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The two teams have met 13 times during the regular season, with the Patriots leading the series 7-6. The two teams last met in 2013, when New England beat the Falcons on Sunday Night Football, 30-23.

“The brotherhood that these men in our locker room has built has led to this moment," Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said after the Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. "And how hard they want to play for one another, against each other, help getting each other ready, I couldn’t have been more proud of them. Lastly for the fans, for this city, and for teams that have rocked this place for 25 years, we felt your energy from the very beginning.”

The Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers, 44-21, in the NFC Championship game. The offense finished with 493 total yards, which is a playoff fran- chise record. The Falcons also became the fifth team since the merger to score 44+ points in the confer- ence championship game.

Matt Ryan went 27-of-38 for 392 yards and four touchdowns and a 139.4 passer rating. Ryan also recorded a rushing touchdown, the first rushing touchdown of his postseason career – first rushing touchdown since 2012. Ryan’s four passing touchdowns were the most in a single postseason game in franchise history. He became the first player with four touchdown passes in a conference champion- ship game since Kurt Warner for Cardinals in 2008 against the Eagles.

Julio Jones caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdown receptions moved him into the franchise record book, as he now holds the record for most postseason touch- downs (5). His second touchdown catch was a 73- yard reception, which was a career and franchise playoff long.

The Falcons defense sacked Packers QB Aaron Rodgers twice, extending their streak to 17 straight games with a sack (including postseason). The team also forced two turnovers – their 13th turnover in the last six games.

Jalen Collins forced the first fumble of his career, which he recovered for a touchback. Ricardo Allen recorded his second postseason interception – second straight game. His two interceptions are the most recorded in a single playoff run in franchise history.

In the AFC Championship, Tom Brady completed 32-of-42 passes for 384 yards and three touch- downs, as he led his team to a 36-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Patriots WR Chris Hogan caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touch- downs, while WR Julian Edelman caught eight pass- es for 118 yards.