It was no contest on Thursday night, with the Atlanta Falcons hammering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 56-14, at the Georgia Dome. It was a record-setting performance in multiple ways, with Devin Hester breaking Deion Sanders' all-time mark for return touchdowns and the Falcons setting a franchise record for margin of victory.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons 2014 final score: 3 things we learned in Atlanta’s 56-14 victory
Tampa Bay could not have been worse while Atlanta frolicked to an easy win in primetime behind a complete team effort.
Scott Cunningham
Hester was tied with Sanders at 19 return touchdowns going into the contest before returning a Michael Koenen punt 62 yards, high-stepping the last 10 yards in homage of Neon Deion. Sanders was in the building to take in the spectacle, working for NFL Network as an analyst.
Here are three lessons we learned from Thursday night’s contest:
1. Atlanta has a really, really good offense. Matt Ryan was nearly perfect, completing 21-of-24 pass attempts for 286 yards and three touchdowns before being pulled in the third quarter with the game out of hand. Atlanta also gained 146 rushing yards on 4.2 yards per carry, with Steven Jackson leading the way with 54 yards and a touchdown.
Roddy White was not active, but he was not missed. Julio Jones had nine catches for 161 yards and a pair of scores before getting a breather for a majority of the second half.
2. The demolition of Tampa Bay was historic. The 42-point margin of victory is an Atlanta record, besting the previous 41-point margins when the team beat the San Diego Chargers in 1973 and Carolina Panthers in 2002. The defeat was tied for the second-worst in Tampa Bay franchise history, only beating out its 45-0 and 48-3 defeats against the Oakland Raiders in 1999 and San Francisco 49ers in 2011, respectively.
3. The Buccaneers need to improve drastically in all facets. It was an ugly performance for a Tampa Bay team now staring at an 0-3 record. Mike Glennon relieved an injured Josh McCown and hit on 17 of 24 for 121 yards and a touchdown to Vincent Jackson.
The Falcons outgained the Buccaneers, 488-217, in total yards, with Tampa Bay only able to muster 64 rushing yards on 3.6 yards per attempt. The Buccaneers also fumbled five times, turning the ball over on four of them. In addition to all of that, Tampa Bay lost its cool, committing 11 penalties, resulting in 110 yards.
Atlanta also dominated on third down, converting 8 of 11 opportunities.
Injuries
Starting quarterback Josh McCown threw a pick-six and connected on 5-of-12 passes before leaving in the second quarter with an injured right thumb. McCown returned to the sideline in the second half with a large wrap on his right hand and did not return.
For the Falcons, receiver Harry Douglas scored a touchdown before leaving with a foot injury in the second quarter. He did not return. Also, Hester exited right before the half with a cramp and did not return, minutes after making history.
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