TAMPA, Fla. — Micheal Spurlock started up the middle, cut to the outside and didn’t stop running until making history for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs ran back a kickoff for a touchdown for the first time in the franchise’s 32 seasons and routed the reeling Atlanta Falcons 37-3 on Sunday to win the NFC South for the second time in three seasons.
“Derrick Brooks always tells me: ‘Today is the day to make history.’ And it happened,” Spurlock said. “Everybody got their block, I hit it and found the end zone.”
Ronde Barber returned an interception 29 yards for a TD and Earnest Graham scored a touchdown rushing in a team-record sixth consecutive game to help Tampa Bay (9-5) improve to 5-0 in the division after going 0-6 against NFC South rivals a year ago.
The loss was the fifth in a row for Atlanta (3-11). It capped a tumultuous week that began with suspended star quarterback Michael Vick being sentenced to 23 months in prison, a lopsided loss to New Orleans and the abrupt resignation of first-year coach Bobby Petrino.
“It’s just been an emotional week with everything that has happened. And to try to come out and play a game, I can just tell you it was tough,” Atlanta running back Warrick Dunn said.
