Matt Ryan threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, one of them to Tony Gonzalez in his return to Kansas City, and the Atlanta Falcons pounded the short-handed Chiefs 40-24 on Sunday.

Ryan also ran for a TD, while Julio Jones caught six passes for 108 yards and two scores.

The Falcons took advantage of a Chiefs defense missing four starters. Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali was suspended for an unspecified violation of the league's substance-abuse policy, and three others were injured.

Still, Kansas City matched Atlanta most of the first half, trailing 20-17 at the break. But a missed field goal by Ryan Succop early in the third quarter proved to be the turning point.

Matt Cassel finished with 258 yards passing for Kansas City, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. The Falcons turned all three turnovers into points.