HOUSTON -- Matt Ryan and the Dallas Cowboys were big winners Saturday night.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was voted The Associated Press 2016 NFL's Most Valuable Player and top offensive player. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took Offensive Rookie of the Year and Jason Garrett was selected Coach of the Year by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.
On the eve of the Super Bowl in which he will face off with two-time league MVP Tom Brady, who finished second in this year's balloting, Ryan easily outdistanced Brady 25-10 for MVP. He beat Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers 15½ to 11 for Offensive Player of the Year.
Garrett drew 25 votes for best coach, beating out New England's Bill Belichick (14).
"This is an extension of our football team, and I really accept it on their behalf," said Garrett, who took over as the Dallas coach in 2010. "I coach with some really great guys, and I'm really fortunate to coach with so many great players that go about it the right way, and it's really just an extension of that. It's a team award."
Prescott, in a two-man race with his running back Ezekiel Elliott, won 28½ to 21½. The QB brought the RB onstage to share in his moment.
"He deserves it just as much as I do from his yards, his catches," Prescott said. "The way we handled things in the backfield is always together."
Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, apparently headed to San Francisco after the Super Bowl to be head coach of the 49ers, took the assistant coaching award.
Packers receiver Jordy Nelson, returning from a devastating knee injury, was selected Comeback Player of the Year.
Oakland edge rusher Khalil Mack slipped past 2016 Super Bowl MVP linebacker Von Miller for Defensive Player of the Year, 18-17.
San Diego lineman Joey Bosa won top defensive rookie honors in a landslide.
"I don't really set goals like this for myself very often, awards," said Bosa, who missed the first four games after a holdout. "But I definitely wanted this one. I'm really happy I got it done."
Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Giants quarterback Eli Manning shared the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
"Quite simply this is the most meaningful honor an NFL player can receive, and I am flattered beyond words that the selection committee deemed me worthy of it," Fitzgerald said. "More than anything it is a reflection on my parents whose words and example taught my brother and me the value of service and the importance of giving back."
Manning called it "an honor to be mentioned in the same breath with Walter Payton."
"None of us do what we do on behalf of charity or in our communities to get recognized," Manning added. "We do it because we truly care. You want to make a difference in people's lives and in our communities. But to be recognized and know that people do notice your work is nice."
Refs donate tickets
The NFL Referees Association donated more than 20 Super Bowl tickets to charities nationwide to benefit a variety of causes.
The American Diabetes Association, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation are among the organizations that received tickets to today's game between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.
The NFLRA said umpire Roy Ellison delivered two tickets on behalf of the American Diabetes Association to contest winner Marlissa Clarke at Orlando-based Florida Hospital. Clarke is a participant and fundraiser for the association's Tour de Cure at Lake Nona.
There were more than 1,500 Super Bowl tickets available for sale Saturday on StubHub, with the cheapest ticket going for $2,347 and the most expensive costing $12,500.
Rudy in Houston
The man best known for the movie Rudy has received quite a price for the helmet and jersey he wore in his one game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Rudy Ruettiger auctioned off his Notre Dame gear Saturday for $241,500.
Ruettiger teamed up with Hunt Auctions through the NFL Auction at the Super Bowl in Houston, joking that the move also got him a trip to the Super Bowl.
His father had been storing the helmet and jersey the former walk-on wore Nov. 8, 1975, in a case. Ruettiger took those items when his father died, and he decided it was time to part with them knowing they would mean something to somebody.
Some of the proceeds from Saturday's auction go to NFL charities.
Super Bowl sinkhole?
A giant sinkhole in suburban Detroit is being threatened by the Super Bowl.
Macomb County public works chief Candice Miller is worried that thousands of football fans will flush toilets at halftime tonight. She told a local radio station that it could overwhelm a broken sewer line blamed for the sinkhole.
Miller said her bathroom advice "sounds crazy," but she fears trouble unless people are willing to hold it -- or at least not immediately flush.
Crews are building a bypass to get around the broken sewer line in Fraser, Mich., but it's not ready yet. The line affects more than 300,000 people in 11 communities.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has announced grants of up to $100,000 for local governments affected by the sinkhole, which was discovered Dec. 24.
Sports on 02/05/2017