Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six outings. This includes consecutive home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed key throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 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 are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their final 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
