Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes consecutive home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started 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 a single touchdown all year, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged 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 making his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and receiver 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 throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off berth.
