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: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards 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 first time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their last six outings. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are out of postseason contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory 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 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason spot.
