NFL's red carpet night will have to do without Matt Ryan -- he's busy

HOUSTON -- When Matt Ryan looks on his career one day, this weekend has the potential to sit at the top of all others.

On Saturday night, there's a chance Ryan will be announced as the NFL's Most Valuable Player. The next day, he and the Falcons will play New England in the Super Bowl. But it should be obvious that Ryan values one event over the other, and that he won't be walking on the red carpet Saturday at NFL Honors.

Asked Thursday whether he would attend the awards event, Ryan laughed and responded: "No. We’ve got our routine on Saturday night. I was there last year. It’s a great event. They do a great job with it. But we’ll be in our normal routine on Saturday."

A television reporter persisted, saying, "But you might win. How would you find out if you won?"

Answer: "Uh, I’m sure I’ll find out one way or another. We’ve got something a little bit bigger the following  day that were all going after. I think that's where my focus will be."

He chose well.

For what it's worth, Thursday was the last media access to players and coaches for both teams. All parties are just fine with that.

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