But head coach Dan Quinn decided to give it to someone no one could have predicted.
Sure, Matt Ryan threw for 392 yards, Julio Jones caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns and Jalen Collins forced a fumble that served as the game-changing play.
However, the game ball was awarded to someone who overcame a significant challenge off the football field, the week prior.
Andy Levitre’s wife, Katie, went into labor prior to the Falcons’ divisional-playoff game versus the Seattle Seahawks.
Katie sat in the stands of the Georgia Dome with the other 71,000 fans watching her husband and his team advance to the NFC Championship.