Matt Ryan Wins 2016 NFL MVP Award: Latest Comments and Reaction

Matt Ryan lifted the Atlanta Falcons to new heights throughout the 2016 regular season, and he was acknowledged for his stellar contributions Saturday when he was named NFL MVP: 

NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal relayed the final voting tallies, which featured New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in second place: 

Ryan was on another level during the Falcons' run to Super Bowl 51, leading the NFL in a slew of passing categories during a season that saw the Falcons rattle off 11 wins and an NFC South title before the playoffs rolled around.  

Over the course of 16 starts, Ryan completed 69.9 percent of his passes for career highs of 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also tossed a career-low seven interceptions and led the NFL with a touchdown percentage of 7.1, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. 

And as the conductor of Kyle Shanahan's league-best offense, Ryan paced all quarterbacks with 9.3 yards per attempt and 13.3 yards per pass completion. Thanks to those numbers, the 31-year-old recorded an NFL-best passer rating of 117.1.  

Plus, Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner noted Ryan "was also the only quarterback this season not to throw a single interception under pressure."

"He was able to orchestrate Kyle Shanahan's vision for the offense and became the leader," NFL.com's Willie McGinest wrote. "His mechanics and footwork improved last offseason, and he cut down on interceptions while displaying better accuracy."

Take it from head coach Dan Quinn, and Ryan's commitment to improving every area of his game paid off in a big way. 

"You know what I'm always happy about? When you see somebody really apply themselves and really go for it to get to a new level when you're already at a really high level," Quinn said, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "To take another step to break through a new ceiling—it's really difficult. And he totally owned that challenge to do that."

Now that his efforts have been validated in the form of the NFL's most prestigious individual hardware, Ryan will have a chance to wrap up a storybook season with a Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.

And if he can achieve that feat while besting Brady, Ryan will have nothing left to prove.