Falcons vs. Buccaneers: Score and Twitter Reaction for Thursday Night Football

The NFC South is the Atlanta Falcons' division, and the other teams are just living in it.

Atlanta cruised to a 43-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday at Raymond James Stadium, moving to 6-3 and two games ahead of the New Orleans Saints. Tampa Bay, which dropped to 3-5, was outmatched on the defensive side of the ball.

The Falcons finished with 461 total yards. Quarterback Matt Ryan torched the Buccaneers secondary for 344 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Devonta Freeman added 77 yards on the ground.

Tampa Bay didn't force a single Atlanta punt.

"This secondary doesn't stand a chance," Louis Riddick of ESPN tweeted in regard to Ryan's performance against a Tampa Bay team that entered the game ranked 23rd against the pass.

Thursday also marked a showdown between two of the league's elite receivers. Atlanta's Julio Jones posted 111 receiving yards and a score, while Tampa Bay's Mike Evans countered with 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

However, Evans was evaluated for a concussion late in the game, per Buccaneers PR.

Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns, but he didn't receive much help from the rushing attack. The Buccaneers managed just 73 yards on 19 carries (3.8 yards per attempt) without injured running backs Doug Martin (hamstring) and Jacquizz Rodgers (foot).

Tampa Bay got on the scoreboard first.

Winston hit Cameron Brate for what appeared to be a touchdown on the first drive, but the tight end was ruled down by contact. It took the Buccaneers two additional plays to score when Winston found Evans in the back of the end zone, as the NFL shared:

ESPN Stats & Info noted Evans became the first player in team history to catch seven touchdowns in the first eight games of a season, and Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official website noted it had been some time since Tampa Bay scored so quickly:

Atlanta answered when Ryan hit Levine Toilolo for a 32-yard score after connecting with Freeman for 27 yards earlier on the team's opening drive.

The Falcons extended their momentum when Brian Poole and Paul Worrilow recovered fumbles by Antone Smith and Winston, respectively. However, Atlanta settled for two Matt Bryant field goals to take a 13-7 lead.

It would have been more if Joshua Perkins hadn't juggled and dropped a would-be wide-open touchdown pass, as NFL on CBS captured:

It was Tampa Bay's turn to benefit from a turnover when Gerald McCoy forced a Ryan fumble on a strip-sack. Winston then found Evans for a 24-yard score after Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant left with a shoulder injury, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Evans was too much for the Falcons secondary on the play, as the NFL highlighted:

Atlanta countered in the back-and-forth affair and took a 20-14 lead into halftime after Taylor Gabriel scored on a nine-yard jet sweep to finish a nine-play, 74-yard drive.

Ryan quickly extended the lead in the third quarter, hitting Patrick DiMarco for a one-yard score. He also connected with Jones on two straight plays to set up the touchdown as he continued to spread the ball around.

Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com noted DiMarco was the 11th different receiver to catch a Ryan touchdown pass this season.

Ryan continued rolling with five completions on Atlanta's next possession, including a perfectly placed lob to Jones in the end zone. While Ryan made the throw, Jones did much of the hard work by keeping his feet in bounds, as the NFL captured:

Freddie Coleman of ESPN reacted to the incredible play:

Not to be outdone by the other star receiver on the field, Evans made a head-turning one-handed catch and absorbed a hard hit on Tampa Bay's ensuing possession. Skip Bayless of Fox Sports 1 called it the best catch of the season, and the NFL shared the highlight:

Still, the Falcons were in control and took a commanding 33-14 lead into the final quarter. Their defense forced a turnover on downs as a Winston pass fell harmlessly to the ground, which ended any legitimate comeback hopes.

Just for good measure, Ryan found Austin Hooper for his fourth touchdown pass of the evening to push the advantage to 40-14 after the extra point.

Ryan also made history during the drive, as SNF on NBC noted:

Tampa Bay's Adam Humphries caught a touchdown to trim the deficit to 40-20 with less than seven minutes left, but Winston took a big hit and limped off the field after the failed two-point attempt.

From there, Bryant drilled a 50-yard field goal, and Mike Glennon, who finished the game for Winston, threw a touchdown to Brate before hitting Brandon Myers for the two-point conversion.

Buccaneers PR announced it was a knee issue for Winston, but he was standing on the sideline and appeared to be out for precautionary reasons in the blowout.

What's Next?

Tampa Bay remains home and will face the 2-6 Chicago Bears in its next game.

That gives the Buccaneers a winnable contest before a difficult three-game stretch against the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers that could eliminate them from realistic playoff contention.

As for the Falcons, they'll hit the road to face the Philadelphia Eagles before their bye week. That showdown with the 4-3 Eagles will have potential NFC postseason implications with head-to-head tiebreakers and seeding hanging in the balance.

Postgame Reaction

The Buccaneers committed 11 penalties for 85 yards, and head coach Dirk Koetter said, "we definitely hurt ourselves with penalties," per Smith.

It wasn't all bad news for the Buccaneers, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times noted there didn't seem to be much concern with Winston's injury:

On the other side, "Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he's not sure how serious [Trufant's] left shoulder injury is. Trufant is getting an MRI in the morning," per McClure.

The Falcons shared the rest of Quinn's postgame press conference: