ATLANTA (AP) – Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes to Julio Jones and Harry Douglas on Atlanta’s first two possessions and the Falcons led Tampa By 28-0 early in the second quarter Thursday night.
The Falcons made it 21-0 when safety Kemal Ishmael picked off Josh McCown’s pass, intended for Vincent Jackson at the Buccaneers 23 and ran untouched to the end zone.
Atlanta had 12 first downs and 169 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Bucs had zero first downs and 16 yards.
Defensive tackle Corey Peters hit the 35-year-old McCown as he let the ball go on the interception, giving Atlanta some rare quarterback pressure. The Falcons began the night as the only NFL team without a sack through the first two weeks.
Ryan was 10 of 11 for 110 yards. Steven Jackson ran seven times for 46 yards and Jones had four catches for 56 yards.