Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late comeback to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six games. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the space of 5 days to two division rivals who are eliminated from play-off the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their final four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
