Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched 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 clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same 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 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering five of their last six outings. This features consecutive home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their final four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
