Bucs clinch NFC South, down Falcons 37-3

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 Sunday to win the NFC South for the second time in three seasons.

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.

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

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 for his role in a dogfighting ring, a lopsided loss to New Orleans and the abrupt resignation of first-year coach Bobby Petrino.

While some thought Petrino's unexpected departure would give the Falcons something to rally around, things quickly got out of hand in the debut of interim coach Emmitt Thomas. Barber scored on the third play of the game and Spurlock's 90-yard kickoff return made it 14-3 midway through the opening quarter.

The closest the Bucs had ever come to scoring on a kickoff was 2001, when Aaron Stecker returned one 86 yards against New Orleans.

Spurlock settled under Michael Koenen's kick at his 10, burst through a huge hole in the middle of the field and cut up the right sideline to the end zone untouched. The TD came on the 1,865th attempt made by 141 players since Tampa Bay's inaugural season in 1976.

Before Sunday, Tampa Bay's kickoff returns had covered 37,395 yards, or more than 21 miles.

Spurlock's TD and the performance of Tampa Bay's defense, which limited the Falcons to 133 yards, overshadowed the return of Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia, who missed the previous two games with a lower back bruise.

Garcia completed 15 of 25 passes for 105 yards and produced a touchdown and two field goals off three of Atlanta's four turnovers. He also tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Anthony Becht before being replaced by backup Bruce Gradkowski in the closing minutes.

Chris Redman was 4-of-15 for 34 yards in his second start for the Falcons, who have been unable to compensate for the loss of Vick. He was intercepted twice and also lost a fumble when sacked and stripped by Bucs rookie Gaines Adams to set up Graham's 1-yard TD dive late in the first half.

Atlanta avoided a shutout with Morten Andersen's 33-yard field goal in the first quarter. Jerious Norwood, who rushed for 73 yards on nine carries, helped set up the score with a 29-yard run.

Graham rushed for 79 yards on 22 carries and is on pace for a 1,000-yard season after entering training camp as the third-string tailback. Filling in for the injured Carnell ``Cadillac'' Williams and Michael Pittman, he has scored 10 TDs and gained 877 yards.