Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the space of five days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single score all year, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting 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 completed his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball 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 penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off berth.
