NFC's Super Bowl Team and MVP: Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan Make Sense

The upcoming NFL Monday Night game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints is certain to sort out the NFC favorites for many making predictions for the NFL Super Bowl. If the Atlanta Falcons win, they not only tie the New England Patriots for best record in the NFL, they should be considered the NFC's front-runner for the Super Bowl.

For all the talk about Vick this year, and all the focus on New England, the Atlanta Falcons may be the team to beat in the Super Bowl. In fact, Atlanta should already be the sports story of the year and the odds-on favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Atlanta was the wronged team in the Michael Vick saga. The disgust that came from Vick's tragic actions against dogs overwhelmed that story as much as his resurrection in Philadelphia has overwhelmed today's Vick story.

The New England Patriots are already in position as favorites in the AFC. Atlanta has lost two games this year, just like New England. The first was in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was lost by the defense, allowing a 50 yard run. The second was to Philadelphia, playing Kevin Kolb in place of the injured Vick. Kolb hit 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards, leading his team to a decisive victory with a 133.6 passer rating.

Tough and competitive, third year former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan has met all other challenges. In a shootout against Green Bay, Ryan and Aaron Rogers dueled down to the wire. Although he had a slightly lower passer rating, Ryan outplayed Rogers connecting on 24 of 28 passes and scoring ten points in the fourth quarter to Rogers' seven.

Unlike Rogers and Vick, Ryan has played every down for Atlanta. If he beats Drew Brees, the quarterback many pegged as the best in the NFL at the start of this season and who was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, Ryan is in place to replace Brees as the NFC's best quarterback.

To claim that Vick deserves this honor after a partial season and one game in which he performed well on a couple plays but that was won by a punt return is to give far more credit to Vick than he deserves from a statistical standpoint. It also smacks of an East Coast press bias in favor of Philadelphia.

Bettors also need to be very careful going for Brady and his New England Patriots this year. It is impossible to be perfect forever. I for one believe Brady is the NFL's MVP in a rout. Yet, if Atlanta and Brady reach the Super Bowl this year, Brady will be played even more conservatively, and Matt Ryan could outshine him in a very close game.

In the end, as always, there will be many roadblocks in the way of both teams. Yet they seem to have the staying power and serious backbone needed to lead them both to the final game.

Give it to Atlanta in a very close one. Brady and Atlanta. Both deserving and both likely to be on top at the end.