Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six games. This includes back-to-back home losses in the space of five days to two division rivals who are eliminated from play-off the race.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is assured a postseason berth.
