Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after losing five of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the space of five days to two divisional rivals who are out of play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory 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 2 of their final 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
