Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth 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 dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home defeats in the space of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes 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 then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback 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 left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial passes 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 collected 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their final 4 games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason berth.
