Steven Jackson, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones tearing up Bucs

The Atlanta Falcons are having an easy time tearing apart the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense with the sharp talons of their passing attack, but the most pleasant storylines for the Falcons have been the play of their normally awful offensive line and the play of veteran running back Steven Jackson. Lamar Holmes and Co. are easily beating a Buccaneers defensive line that is without Gerald McCoy, who is one of the best defensive players in the game.

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Despite all of these things working in the Falcons favor, Matt Ryan and the offense still deserve credit for taking advantage of an easy defense here on Thursday Night Football. Ryan just notched his second touchdown pass of the game by hitting up Julio Jones for an eight-yard score. Like his first TD, a three-yard pick-up to Harry Douglas, the star QB found his wide receiver between two defenders in the back of the end zone, meaning that the Bucs are having huge issues covering in their zone defense (they are also embarrassing themselves on the tackling front).

Ryan is flinging the ball at a crisp 10-11 for 110 yards, meaning that he’s averaging an even ten yards per attempt. Always great at home, Ryan is playing more like he did in Week 1 than in last week’s disappointing outing against Leon Hall and the Cincinnati Bengals. His connection with Julio Jones has been as pristine as ever, with the former Alabama star currently at four catches and 56 yards after hauling in that touchdown pass. Meanwhile, injury-prone RB Steven Jackson is looking like he used to, as he’s turned seven carries into an impressive 46 yards.

Update: The Falcons defense is also impressing in this so-far-shutout, as Josh McCown threw a pick six to Kemal Ishmael to run the score up to 21-0 for the Falcons.