Buccaneers... 37 Falcons... 3

TAMPA, Fla. -- Micheal Spurlock became the first player in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 32 seasons to return a kickoff for a touchdown, a 90-yard runback that helped the Buccaneers rout the reeling Atlanta Falcons, 37-3, and win the NFC South for the second time in three years.

Ronde Barber returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown 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.

It’s the fifth straight season the team winning the NFC South finished last the previous season.

Atlanta (3-11) lost its fifth in a row, capping a tumultuous week that began with suspended quarterback Michael Vick being sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring, a lopsided loss to New Orleans and the abrupt resignation of first-year coach Bobby Petrino.

Quoteworthy: “I just assumed he would step out of bounds or something would happen.” -- Jon Gruden, Buccaneers coach, on Micheal Spurlock’s touchdown return