1 - Career rushing touchdowns for Devin Hester after his 20-yard end-around TD run that put Atlanta up 21-0 in the first quarter. Hester was just getting started with his historical night.
1 - Number of games the Falcons play at the Georgia Dome between now and November 23. Five of the next seven games are road games for Atlanta, but one of the two "home" games during that stretch takes place at Wembley Stadium in London against the Detroit Lions.
2 - First downs for the Bucs in the first half of the game. Atlanta's defense held their division rivals to just 63 total yards in the first half and never let them sniff the red zone.
2 - Matt Bryant's rank on the all-time Falcons career scoring list after his 8 extra points against Tampa Bay gave him 564 and vaulted him past Mick Luckhurst (558 points). Bryant trails only Morten Andersen, who scored 806 points in his Falcons' career.
3 - Phases of the game in which the Falcons scored touchdowns tonight: 6 on offense (3 passing, 3 rushing), 1 on defense (Kemal Ishmael's pick-six) and 1 on special teams (Devin Hester's historic punt return touchdown).
3 - Sacks for the Falcons' defense in the game, their first 3 sacks of the 2014 season. Corey Peters and Jonathan Massaquoi each registered a sack in the first half, while Stansly Maponga, who also recovered a fumble to set up a Steven Jackson touchdown run, dropped Bucs' backup QB Mike Glennon in the fourth quarter.
4 - Minutes remaining in the third quarter when Matt Ryan replaced his football helmet with a baseball cap. Ryan left the game with 4:34 in the third after completing 21 of 24 passes for 286 yards, 3 TDs, no INTs and a 155.9 quarterback rating.
4 - Straight Falcons-Bucs games in which WR Harry Douglas has caught a touchdown pass. Starting at wide receiver in place of Roddy White, who was inactive for the game, Douglas caught 2 passes for 14 yards and a 3-yard touchdown - Atlanta's first of eight touchdowns on the night. Douglas left the game late in the second quarter with a foot injury and did not return. He was replaced in the game by WR Eric Weems.
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The Falcons face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Thursday Night Football matchup in the Georgia Dome. Check out these pictures of the game.
WR Devin Hester runs through tackles to score a touchdown off a punt.
S Kemal Ishmael goes in for a tackle.
K Matt Bryant kicks a field goal.
DE Kroy Biermann looks through the line.
RB Jacquizz Rodgers runs the ball.
LB Paul Worrilow cuts in on the line.
QB Matt Ryan warms up prior to the start of the game.
RB Devonta Freeman gets a hand off from QB T.J. Yates.
WR Eric Weems makes a catch.
Former Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez visits with former teammates prior to the start of the game.
LB Paul Worrilow fights through the line for a tackle.
The Falcons celebrate with S Kemal Ishmael after his pick six
WR Devin Hester high-steps into the endzone and passes Falcons alumni Deion Sanders to become the all-time leader in returns for touchdowns.
RB Steven Jackson
CB Robert Alford runs onto the field.
DE Kroy Biermann makes a tackle.
WR Devin Hester celebrates a rushing touchdown during the first half of play.
S William Moore enters the field.
S Kemal Ishmael runs back an interception for a touchdown
WR Devin Hester runs the ball
WR Julio Jones
DE Jonathan Massaquoi runs onto the field.
WR Devin Hester runs past several Buccaneer defenders on his way to the endzone.
CB Robert Alford makes his entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
WR Devin Hester moves the ball as Buccaneers CB Crezdon Butler runs in
WR Julio Jones
Falcons players make their entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
Former Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez visits with former teammates prior to the start of the game.
QB Matt Ryan chats with Buccaneers QBs Mike Glennon and Josh McCown prior to the start of the game.
CB Desmond Trufant makes his entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
Falcons Owner & Chairman Arthur Blank poses for a photo with Home Depot co-founder Bernard "Bernie" Marcus prior to the start of the game.
Falcons Owner & Chairman Arthur Blank and former President of the United States Jimmy Carter visit with fans prior to the start of the game.
DE Jonathan Massaquoi makes his entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
P Matt Bosher
Falcons players make their entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
Falcons players make their entrance onto the field during pregame introductions.
The Falcons celebrate Hispanic Heritage during their game against the Buccaneers
Falcons head coach Mike Smith talks with Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith
The Falcons celebrate Hispanic Heritage during their game against the Buccaneers
WR Roddy White
LB Paul Worrilow dives to tackle Buccaneers QB Josh McCown with the help of CB Robert McClain.
DE Stansly Maponga lines up on defense prior to the snap.
LB Paul Worrilow eyes his target during the first half of play.
CB Robert McClain
C Peter Konz
QB Matt Ryan prepares to take a snap during the first half of play.
RB Steven Jackson leaps over several players during the first half of play.
WR Devin Hester
The Atlanta Falcons defense combines for a tackle.
CB Desmond Trufant stares down Buccaneers WR Russell Shepard
WR Devin Hester and CB Robert Alford
T Jake Matthews goes against Buccaneers DL Scott Solomon
RB Steven Jackson
K Matt Bryant
Head coach Mike Smith high fives K Matt Bryant
WR Julio Jones
QB Matt Ryan hands the ball off to RB Antone Smith
DE Jonathan Massaquoi celebrates getting the first sack of the season
AFC Hope
T Jake Matthews
K Matt Bryant
LB Paul Worrilow closes in on Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey
LB Prince Shembo wraps up Buccaneers QB Mike Glennon
LB Prince Shembo gets his arms around Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey
S Kemal Ishmael
DT Corey Peters
QB Matt Ryan drops back to throw a pass during the second half of play.
DE Stansly Maponga is all smiles after recovering a fumble in the second half of play.
LB Paul Worrilow
WR Eric Weems makes a catch during the second half of play.
RB Antone Smith runs into the endzone for a touchdown.
QB T.J. Yates and RB Antone Smith celebrate Smith's touchdown run during the second half of play.
Head Coach Mike Smith
Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter
TE Levine Toilolo
S Dezmen Southward
5 -** Receptions for Julio Jones in the first quarter Thursday against the Bucs, the most ever in a single quarter for the fourth-year pro.
5 - Turnovers forced by the Falcons defense in the game, including 4 fumble recoveries and a pick-six interception by Falcons safety Kemal Ishmael.
7 - Minutes left in the second quarter when Tampa Bay registered their first first down of the game. The Falcons defense held the Bucs to just two first downs in the first half and 10 in the game. Atlanta's offense tallied 26 first downs in the blowout victory.
8 - Rushing yards surrendered by the Falcons' defense in the first half.
12 - Combined yards the Falcons had gained on their game-opening drives in the first two games of the season, running eight plays, mustering just one first down and not advancing beyond their own 45-yard line. Tonight, the Falcons opened the game by marching down the field on a 6-play, 70-yard drive capped by Douglas' touchdown grab.
20 - Career return touchdowns for Devin Hester, who passed Deion Sanders as the all-time NFL leader when he took a 56-yard Michael Koenen punt 62 yards to the house in the second quarter to extend Atlanta's lead to 35-0. Hester became emotional after the game discussing the record, which he broke in front of close friend Sanders and his former head coach and mentor, Lovie Smith.
21 - Points the Falcons scored in the first quarter, the second most they've ever scored in a single quarter and tied for the most ever the club has scored in the first quarter of a game. The franchise record for the most points scored in a single quarter is the 28 points Atlanta put up against Carolina on November 23, 2008.
35 - Points scored by the Falcons in the first half, the second-most they've scored in a half in club history. Atlanta hung 42 points on the same Tampa Bay franchise in the first half of a 2012 game.
38 - Minimum distance for Antone Smith's four career touchdown runs. In addition to tonight's 38-yard rumble, Smith's other three career touchdown runs have gone for 38, 50 and 54 yards.
87.5 - Completion percentage for Matt Ryan in the game (21 of 24), a single game Falcons franchise record for completion percentage in a game.
111 - Receiving yards for Julio Jones...in the FIRST HALF. Jones had seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown as the teams retreated to their halftime locker rooms. Jones finished the game with 9 catches for 161 yards (second most yards in a game in his career) and two touchdowns.
155.9 - Final QB rating for Matt Ryan, a career high and a franchise record. The highest possible QB rating attainable in a game is 158.3, which has only been achieved 61 times in NFL history.
455 - Average yards per game for the Falcons through three games this season. They entered the game as the NFL's number two ranked offense with 438.5 yards per game, trailing only Philadelphia (439 yards per game). But after tonight's 488-yard output, the Falcons have a good shot of emerging from week three perched atop the League.
