Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late 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 eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six outings. This includes consecutive home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are out of postseason the race.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their final 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
