Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six outings. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the space of 5 days to two division rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after quarterback 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 veteran then led the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
