Falcons romp past hapless Buccaneers

ATLANTA -- Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and high-stepping Devin Hester led the Atlanta Falcons to one of the biggest wins in franchise history.

Ryan threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns, Jones hauled in nine passes for 161 yards and a couple of scores, and Hester set an NFL record with his 20th return for a TD as the Falcons routed the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56-14 on Thursday night.

The Falcons (2-1) led 35-0 before the Buccaneers (0-3) picked up a first down. Ryan and the other offensive starters left the game after Steven Jackson's 3-yard touchdown run made it 49-0 before the midway point of the third quarter.

Atlanta built a stunning 56-0 lead heading to the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay scored two meaningless touchdowns to avoid the worst loss in franchise history.

With the Falcons already up 28-0, Hester took a punt at his own 44, found a seam up the middle of the field and zipped around the last man with a chance to tackle him, punter Michael Koenen. The 56-yard play was Hester's 20th career return for a touchdown, breaking the mark he shared with former Falcons star Deion Sanders.