The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and over 150 yards through the air in a same game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single score all season, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback 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 thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
