The handshake. The universal symbol of the business deal. And for the past year – with few exceptions – it’s the way the Seattle Seahawks’ standout running back has celebrated getting into the end zone.

”He’s business. It’s all business for him,” Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said. ”I don’t think we’ve ever seen him celebrate – maybe once or twice he celebrates a touchdown.”

Some players have well-choreographed touchdown celebrations. Others take the opportunity for self-promotion when they score a touchdown.

Usually, that’s not Lynch’s style. And it serves as the ultimate counterbalance of Lynch as a running back: The simplicity of a handshake versus the fierce power and anger he runs with.

”I love the way he plays the game, he’s extremely competitive,” St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis said. ”Personally I think he’s got a defensive player’s mind-set. When he’s out there it looks like he’s always trying to find somebody to hit. I think it’s funny to me his touchdown celebration where he just shakes the offensive linemen’s hands, I always kind of laugh at that.”

For Lynch, the handshake celebration started last season during the NFC championship game. With Seattle trailing 10-3 at halftime, Lynch broke off a 40-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to pull the Seahawks even. But instead of the typical helmet slaps that were part of Lynch celebrating with his teammates in the past, this time was different. After somersaulting into the end zone, Lynch stood up and was initially hugged by tight end Luke Willson.

But before anymore celebrating could take place, Lynch held out his right hand and proceeded to professionally shake the hand of every other teammate that approached.

That was just the beginning.

”It’s really simply all it comes down to,” Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said. ”That’s who he is. He’s a business man on the football field. That’s what he does. That’s what he loves to do. No flare, no flash about it afterward. That’s just normal Marshawn. That’s just what he does.”

The handshake hasn’t happened after every one of Lynch’s career-best 17 touchdowns this season. When Lynch scored in overtime to beat Denver in Week 3, he was mobbed by teammates. When he bulldozed through multiple defenders to score against Oakland, Lynch hopped up and sprinted off the field.

But nearly every other touchdown this season, Lynch’s formula has been finding those who block for him and professionally congratulating them for the work put in.

”That’s his style. It’s all about action,” Seattle guard J.R. Sweezy said. ”That’s the way he thanks us, congratulates us and we continue to play.”

And never once has Lynch explained his reasoning.

”It’s understood. There’s a cliche saying that, `what is understood doesn’t need to be explained.’ That’s Marshawn in a bottle,” Baldwin said.

The argument could be made that even at age 28 this was Lynch’s best season. He was a second-team All-Pro selection. Lynch’s 1,306 yards rushing were the second most of his career but he was also more of a threat in the passing game this season. Lynch finished with a career-best 367 yards receiving and four touchdowns, and his 37 receptions were the second most in his career.

”His production is really good. His pass catching has been really good,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. ”Seventeen touchdowns they said, that’s a fantastic football season and I think I’ve been saying it all year long this is the best I’ve ever seen him, most consistent and all that and he carried it all the way through the whole schedule and did a great job.”

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AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom contributed to this report.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Lynch, spoke with former teammate Michael Robinson in an interview that was taped Saturday in Philadelphia.

When asked if he might retire after this season, Lynch said, “I’m still under contract. I ain’t even made it through this year. I’m chasing after another one of these [points to Robinson’s Super Bowl ring from last season] right here.”

Lynch is scheduled to make $7 million next season and count $8.5 million against the salary cap in the final year of a four-year deal with the Seahawks. He has rushed for 956 yards this season, fifth best in the NFL.

Lynch was asked why he rarely speaks to reporters, something that caused him to get a $100,000 fine from the NFL last month.

“I ain’t got nothing to say,” Lynch said. “All that is superficial to me. I just like to play football. Anytime I get the opportunity to touch ball, I feel I can be successful.”

Lynch, 28, also was asked what he would tell the 20-year-old Lynch if he could.

“I would tell him don’t regret decisions you make, from the bad to the good to pretty to ugly,” Lynch said. “I’d tell him, ‘Get ready for a whirlwind because it’s not going to be pretty.’ “

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The Atlanta Falcons finally showed they could win a playoff game.

And, wow, what a game it was!

After a meltdown in the fourth quarter, the Falcons pulled off a comeback that will long be remembered in championship-starved Atlanta. Ryan completed two long passes and Bryant kicked a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining, lifting the NFC’s top seed to a stunning 30-28 victory over Russell Wilson and the gutty Seattle Seahawks in a divisional game Sunday.

“Wow!” said Falcons coach Mike Smith, summing up this classic as well as anyone could.

Atlanta (14-3) squandered a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, falling behind for the first time all day when Marshawn Lynch scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left and Ryan Longwell knocked through the extra point for a 28-27 lead.

No team has ever won a playoff game when facing such a daunting deficit in the final period.

The Falcons, thanks to a pair of Matty Ices — Ryan and Bryant — didn’t become the first.

Ryan, shaking off his struggles in three previous playoff losses and two interceptions against the Seahawks, hooked up with Harry Douglas on a 29-yard pass in front of the Falcons bench, and Smith quickly signaled a timeout. Then, Ryan went down the middle to his favorite target Gonzalez, a Hall of Famer-to-be playing what could’ve been his final game.

Gonzalez hauled in the 19-yard throw, and Smith called his final timeout with 13 seconds remaining. Instead of risking another play and having the clock run out, he sent Bryant in for the field goal try.

The Seahawks called time just before the ball was snapped, and Bryant’s kick sailed right of the upright. That turned out to be nothing more than practice. The next one was right down the middle as Bryant took off in the other direction, pumping his fist before he was mobbed by his teammates.

“Our quarterback is a special player,” Smith said. “They call him Matty Ice, but I feel like we’ve got two Matty Ices. There’s Matty Ice Ryan and Matty Ice Bryant.”

The Falcons overcame their reputation for choking in the playoffs, winning their first postseason game since the 2004 season. They’ll host San Francisco in the NFC championship game next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

“Nobody flinched,” Ryan said. “We just kept battling, kept doing what we do. That’s been the makeup of our team all season.”

Bryant knocked through his third game-winning kick of the season. But he’d never made one like this, with so much on the line.

“When they scored their touchdown, I walked down (the sideline),” he said. “I told the offensive line, I told Matt (Ryan), I told all the receivers, `We’ve done this before.”

Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, doing all he could to pull off the most improbable of comebacks for the Seahawks (12-6). But the Seattle defense, which is one of the NFL’s best and had totally stymied the Falcons in the fourth quarter, went to a softer coverage and got burned.

Atlanta had just enough time to pull off a comeback of its own.

“We had high, high hopes for the rest of the season,” Wilson said. “When the game was over, I was very disappointed. But walking back into the tunnel, I got so excited about next year. The resilience we showed was unbelievable.”

Wilson finished with 385 yards passing as the Seahawks wiped out a 27-7 deficit entering the final quarter. When Lynch powered over, the ball breaking the goal line just before it squirted from his arms, Seattle celebrated like it had won its second straight playoff game on the road, having already taken care of Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.

According to STATS, it would’ve been the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history.

Not so fast.

Ryan led the Falcons back, wiping out his 0-3 mark in the playoffs, including a crushing loss to Green Bay two years ago when the Falcons were in the same position, the NFC’s top-seeded team with home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“The one thing I’ve learned during my five years in the league, and specifically in the postseason, is that it’s hard,” Ryan said.

Now, he’ll no longer be asked why he can’t win in the playoffs.

“That’s going to be nice,” Ryan conceded. “But our goal is not to win one playoff game. Our goals are still in front of us. We still have two more games to go. That’s the mind-set I have. That’s the mind-set this team has.”

Wilson’s last throw, a desperation heave into the end zone, was intercepted by Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

Gonzalez, who had never won a playoff game in his 16-year career, broke down in tears after Bryant’s kick went through the uprights.

“I’ve never cried after a win,” said Gonzalez, who has stated repeatedly that he’s “95 percent” sure this is his final year. “I was thinking, `Here we go again. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

It was.

The Falcons finally lived up to their excellence during the regular season since Smith, Ryan and general manager Thomas Dimitroff took over in 2008, instantly reviving a franchise that seemed down and out after Michael Vick’s dogfighting case. Atlanta has won 56 regular-season games over the last five years, more than any team except New England, but had a reputation for choking in the postseason.

Check that off the list. Atlanta is one win away from the second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Ryan threw three touchdown passes, tying a Falcons playoff record, and finished 24 of 35 for 250 yards — the first time he’s eclipsed 200 yards in the postseason. He threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez, a 47-yarder to Roddy White and a 5-yarder to Jason Snelling, the latter with 2:11 left in the third quarter to give the Falcons a seemingly commanding lead.

Wilson took over from there, running 1 yard for a touchdown to make it 27-14, then going to Zach Miller on a 3-yard touchdown pass that closed the gap to 27-21.

Finally, taking over at his own 39 after an Atlanta punt, Wilson completed three passes for 50 yards, the last of them a short throw to Lynch that the bruising runner took all the way to the Falcons 3. The rookie quarterback made it all possible, spinning away from blitzing Atlanta linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to keep the play alive.

The Seahawks, though, will spend the offseason kicking themselves for that last Falcons’ drive, and for squandering two scoring chances in the first half.

On fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 11, Seattle passed on a field goal and a chance to give the ball to Lynch, their beast of a back. Fullback Michael Robinson took the handoff and was stuffed for a 1-yard loss by safety William Moore.

Then, with the clock winding down before halftime, Seattle used up all its timeouts and wound up regretting it when Wilson was sacked by Jonathan Babineaux at the Atlanta 20. Time ran out before the Seahawks could get off another play, sending Atlanta to the locker room with a 20-0 lead.

Bryant also connected on field goals of 37 and 39 yards in the first half.

“At halftime, we talked about how we can’t get ahead right away. It’s going to take a while,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “It was an exquisite job of refocusing to a football game after being down like that.”

Game notes

The Falcons played the second half without defensive end John Abraham, who re-injured his ailing right ankle. No word whether he’ll be able to play next week. … The Falcons did a good job on Lynch, who was held to 46 yards on 16 carries. … Atlanta got surprising production out of its maligned running game. Michael Turner rushed for 98 yards, Jacquizz Rodgers added 64 and the Falcons finished with a season-high 167 yards overall.

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Peterson, who came within 9 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, and Watt, who led the NFL with 20 1/2 sacks, were selected by all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who cover the league.

Peterson is a three-time All-Pro, while Watt represents lots of new blood. He’s among 17 players making their All-Pro debuts.

“Obviously it’s a huge honor, especially for being such a young guy,” said Watt, a second-year pro. “It’s crazy to even think about. It’s very humbling and very motivating. It makes me want to do it again and again.”

Peyton Manning made his sixth team, the previous five while quarterbacking Indianapolis. He led Denver to the AFC’s best record, 13-3.

Also chosen for the sixth time was Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez, who this season moved into second place on the career receptions list. San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis made it for the fifth time in his six pro seasons.

The 49ers had the most All-Pros, six: Willis, fellow LBs NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith, guard Mike Iupati, safety Dashon Goldson and punter Andy Lee.

“As an organization, we take great pride in the success and recognition of our players,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said. “This type of acknowledgement only comes from hard work and a team-first mentality, which all six of these men exhibit on a daily basis. They play the game the way it was meant to be played, and are very deserving of this honor.”

Seattle was next with RB Marshawn Lynch, center Max Unger, cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas. All were selected for the first time.

Sherman was incensed when he didn’t make the Pro Bowl. He was thrilled with the news he made the All-Pro team “because that’s comparing the whole league.”

” That is taking individuals and saying they are the best in the NFL at that position and that’s what I wanted to be,” Sherman said. ” The Pro Bowl is taking three from each side, it’s more of a popularity contest. The All-Pro, you’re the best at your position. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fifth-rounder or fourth-rounder or undrafted. If you play the best, you’re All-Pro.”

Denver had three All-Pros: LB Von Miller, tackle Ryan Clady and Manning. No other team had more than two.

The NFC had 17 players and only 10 made it from the AFC.

One rookie, Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh, was chosen.

Also on offense were Baltimore fullback Vonta Leach, making it for the third straight year; Detroit WR Calvin Johnson and Chicago WR Brandon Marshall; Houston tackle Duane Brown; New Orleans guard Jahri Evans, making his fourth consecutive appearance; Baltimore kick returner Jacoby Jones; Miami DE Cameron Wake; Cincinnati DT Geno Atkins and New England DT Vince Wilfork; and Chicago CB Charles Tillman.

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Seattle at Atlanta
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 13, 2013
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
Line: Falcons -2.5, O/U 46

Oddsmakers currently have the Falcons listed as 3-point favorites versus the Seahawks, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

Seattle did not deviate from its game plan despite the early two-touchdown deficit at Washington and rallied behind rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards on eight carries. Wilson continues to play with the poise of a veteran, throwing 17 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in the past nine games. He has the luxury of a sledgehammer behind him in running back Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a season-high 132 yards and a touchdown. Lynch, who finished third in the league with 1,590 yards, has reeled off five straight 100-yard games and 11 overall this season. He had only 24 yards on eight carries in last season’s 30-28 loss to the Falcons in Seattle. The defense suffered a huge blow with an injury to DE Chris Clemons, who leads the team with 11.5 sacks.

Last time out for Seattle, they were a 24-14 winner as they battled the Redskins on the road. The Seahawks covered in the match as a 3-point favorite, while 38 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Seattle: 11-5 SU, 11-5 ATS
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home

Atlanta won its first seven home games before falling to Tampa Bay in a meaningless regular-season finale. That gave Ryan a 33-6 career record at the Georgia Dome. The former No. 3 overall pick posted career highs with 4,719 yards and 32 touchdowns passes and has perhaps the league’s most complete receiving corps at his disposal. Roddy White and deep threat Julio Jones each surpassed 1,100 yards and combined for 17 scoring passes while ageless tight end Tony Gonzalez hauled in 93 receptions for 930 yards and eight touchdowns. The running game ranked just 29th in the league with an average of 87.3 yards. Michael Turner posted only two 100-yard games and ran for more than 52 yards once in the second half of the season. Atlanta’s defense surrendered an average of 18.7 points and will hope sack leader John Abraham (10) is recovered from an ankle injury.

Atlanta was a 22-17 loser in its last match at home against the Buccaneers. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 39 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Atlanta: 13-3 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 10-0
Atlanta is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing Seattle

Prediction: Falcons 23, Seahawks 21.

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