Many confirmed Minnesota Vikings fans seem to believe that it is mandatory that they hate, dislike, despise, and otherwise wish failure on the Green Bay Packers. It’s the same on the Superior side of the bay, where diehard Packers fans feel the same animosity for the Vikings.

Those of us who recall the days when the Vikings first were formed, when we were all Green Bay Packers fans and loved the fact that they used to play an exhibition “Fish Bowl” game at Public Schools Stadium, know that it’s possible to save some support in our hearts for the Packers, no matter how passionate we are for the Vikings.

In any case, it was not possible to watch the 44-21 NFC championship game rout at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons and not feel sympathy for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers was his usual outstanding self, even as his team disintegrated around him. Already missing a few players, the Packers lost six or seven more players to injuries during the game at Atlanta.

It appeared that the walking track just off the field was a runway to allow injured Packers to have a direct path to the dressing room. Injuries, of course, happen to every team, but it was an inopportune time for the Pack to disassemble. Rodgers was 27-for-45 for 287 yards and three touchdowns, which sounds impressive enough if you didn’t watch the game.

But, much as I had anticipated, the Atlanta Falcons might be the best team in the NFL right now. I thought they’d have too much for the Packers to cope with, but I had no idea how much that would be. It was 17-0 after one quarter, and 24-0 at halftime, then it swelled to 31-0 before the Packers scored in the third quarter.

Matt Ryan was computer perfect, connecting on 27 of 38 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns. Ryan, never a scrambler of any note, also ran 14 yards for a touchdown as the Falcons bade farewell to their Georgia Dome for a new stadium next door, and they made their going-away party a memorable one. Nine of those completions were to Julio Jones, who sped around and through the Packer defense for 180 yards and two touchdowns, one a magnificent 73-yard burst.

Later, the Pittsburgh Steeler went to New England flushed with hope, but it was shattered when powerful running back Le’Veon Bell injured his groin on his first rushing attempt. He tried one more, and couldn’t play. That left everything on big Ben Roethlisberger’s head, and try as he might, he and the Steelers couldn’t keep pace with Tom Brady and the Patriots. The final was a similarly lopsided 36-17 patriots victory.

Roethlisberger was 31-47 for 314 yards and a touchdown, but Brady was firing bullets all over the field, going 32-42 for 384 yards and three touchdowns. The Patriots were too perfect for it to be a contest, taking a 17-9 halftime lead and then scoring all 16 points in the third quarter to turn it into a runaway.

So now it’s off to Houston next week, after getting a weekend off, where New England will be favored to win another ho-hum Super Bowl. This one, LI for 51st, could also be the first-ever Super Bowl victory for Atlanta.

I do believe the Falcons have exactly the kind of team that could swipe this game from the Patriots. Ryan is smart, has a raft of receivers, and a fantastic offensive line that can keep even the potent Patriots defenders away from Ryan for long enough to locate and hit those receivers.

It is a perfect match-up, because while the Patriots are allowing the fewest points in the NFL, Atlanta is scoring the most. It’s an old adage in sports that a great defense can shut down a great offense. It’s true in baseball, where pitching can stymie great hitters, and in hockey, where a hot goaltender and puck-moving defense can foil great offensive foes.

But in this particular football season, I think Atlanta has an offense that even New England’s fierce defense can’t contain. Before the playoffs began, I figured that Seattle had the right blend to go all the way — capable if unpredictable offense and fierce defense. It unraveled, however, at Atlanta, where the Falcons stopped the Seahawks, and simply overran Seattle’s usually-stifling defense.

I am willing to concede that Tom Brady is an outstanding quarterback, one of the best of this or any era. But if two quarterbacks are about equal, and one plays for a much stronger team, then that winning quarterback will gain more fame than he perhaps deserves.

Brady has won all the accolades, while Matt Ryan is an outstanding quarterback who has never attained the glory or glamor of Brady and the Patriots. People constantly say, “He’s never won the Super Bowl.” And they’re right.

But this could be the year that ends all of that and installs Ryan as NFL MVP and Super Bowl champ.