Atlanta Falcons take on New England Patriots this weekend, but how did they make it to the NFL's big game?
Led by an MVP-calibre quarterback, the Falcons' attack flourished, while the defence showed steady improvement throughout the year.
In any season there can be highs and lows. For Atlanta, who have never won the Super Bowl, this team is hoping that their biggest high is still to come.
What went right?
In a word: offence. Quarterback Matt Ryan had a career-best season, leading the league in a number of categories, including average yards per pass, quarterback rating and passer rating.
The attack as a unit ranked No 1 in points scored, and set an NFL record with 13 different touchdown scorers. Atlanta's running game scored 26 touchdowns as Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman added a different option to Ryan's passing, while Julio Jones caught a team-high 127 passes and had eight 100+ yard games.
Dominance continued into the play-offs, as the Falcons breezed past Seattle Seahawks and then Green Bay Packers, accumulating a total of 80 points and sending a message to their Super Bowl opponents, the New England Patriots.
What went wrong?
Before taking the job as Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator of Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII team. Many thought his arrival in Atlanta would mean a huge upgrade on the defensive side of the ball, but it hasn't quite happened yet.
Despite improvement, the Falcons still finished 27th in defence, and dead last in red zone, allowing opposition teams to score from 20 yards over 72 per cent of the time. They are the first team since 2000 to come bottom in this category and still make it to the Super Bowl.
However, since their bye in week 11, the team would place at 15th in points allowed. Not a defence that wins championships, perhaps, but 40 yards and eight points less each game is a big step up.
Regular season record
After a disappointing end to 2015, hopes weren't particularly high in Atlanta. The Falcons had started that season 5-0, but after a six-game losing streak, the team finished with an 8-8 record and out of the play-offs, while their NFC South rivals, Carolina Panthers, went on to Super Bowl 50.
In 2016, Atlanta started slowly, losing their opening match-up to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another division opponent. However, the tide appeared to turn as the offence took off, leading the team on a four-game winning streak. Wide receiver Jones put 300 yards on the Panthers in week four, and the Falcons scored over 35 points in three of those four games.
By the halfway stage, with the team at 5-3, quarterback 'Matty Ice' was a unanimous MVP for the first eight games of the season.
Pundits were sceptical the Falcons could maintain their form, given the previous year, but they did, winning six more games and dropping just two, to finish top of the NFC South and claim the conference's second seed.
Play-off push
Doubters still persisted - the Falcons weren't strong, or experienced enough to maintain a post-season challenge. Having secured the bye week, Atlanta made the most of home advantage with a commanding 36-20 win over Seattle Seahawks, before routing Green Bay Packers 44-21 on Championship Sunday.
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan showed his ingenuity, creating a play-book of new schemes to confuse opposition defences, and utilising every member of the Falcons attack.
Despite concerns about a toe injury, Jones was back to his best against Green Bay, catching nine passes for 180 yards and two scores, while Ryan threw four touchdown passes.
Super Bowl pedigree?
This is one area where the Patriots have Atlanta beat. New England will head into their ninth Super Bowl, and a record-seventh under the quarterback-head coach partnership of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Since the Falcons' only Super Bowl appearance, in 1998 where they were beaten 28-24 by the Denver Broncos, Brady's Patriots have won four of their six trips to the big game.
However, this year's team is a completely different proposition to that of 1998, or even the 2012 side that made the NFC Championship game.
The Falcons are at the top of their game, with an MVP-level quarterback and one of the best offensive coordinators in the game calling the shots. Points are coming from every position, and the defence boasts this year's sack-leader, Vic Beasley.
As Von Miller said last week, if the Falcons can keep focused during the week building up to Super Bowl LI, they have as good a chance as any team to knock off the Patriots and secure the organisation's first ever Vince Lombardi trophy.
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