LOS ANGELES _ A turbulent week for the Los Angeles Rams off the field ended with a season-worst performance on it Sunday at the Coliseum.
The Atlanta Falcons demolished the Rams, 42-14, putting even more heat on embattled coach Jeff Fisher with three games left in the season.
The Falcons turned four of five Rams turnovers into touchdowns as the Rams lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell to 4-9.
Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley put the finishing touch on the rout late in the third quarter when he sacked rookie quarterback Jared Goff, stripped the ball and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown and a 42-0 lead.
The defeat ended a week that began with fan uproar over two-year contract extensions for Fisher and General Manager Les Snead, and also included Fisher and Snead refuting a report by Sports Illustrated's "Monday Morning Quarterback" website that their relationship was "toxic."
The Falcons, who came in averaging an NFL-best 32.2 points a game, played without star receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu.
It hardly mattered.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan completed 18 of 28 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons improved their record to 8-5. Ryan connected with Taylor Gabriel for a 64-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put the Falcons ahead 28-0.
Along with Beasley's scoring play, linebacker Deion Jones returned an interception for a touchdown.
Goff struggled in his fourth start. He completed 24 of 41 passes for 235 yards, but had two passes intercepted and was stripped by Beasley for the touchdown. He did have a two-yard run for a late score.
Todd Gurley rushed for 61 yards in 16 carries and scored on a short run early in the fourth quarter. Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin each had seven receptions for 82 and 62 yards, respectively
The Rams trailed at halftime, 21-0, as the Falcons converted two of three turnovers into touchdowns.
With Benny Cunningham inactive because of a neck injury, rookie Michael Thomas returned kickoffs for the Rams.
On the opening kickoff, he attempted to catch the ball in the end zone. But the ball slipped through his hands, bounced off his body and rolled to the three-yard line, where the Falcons recovered it.
Ryan wasted no time, connecting with receiver Justin Hardy for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Falcons put together a scoring drive late in the first quarter aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Rams end Matt Longacre. Running back Tevin Coleman's six-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter put the Falcons ahead 14-0.
With about nine minutes left in the first half, linebacker Deion Jones intercepted a Goff pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown and the 21-0 lead.
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