Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six outings. This features consecutive home losses in the span of five days to two division rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single score all season, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made key 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 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Ramifications
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 will face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is assured a postseason berth.
