Kyle Pitts has now recorded 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 comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to record three touchdown catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering 5 of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from play-off the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
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 2 of their last four matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
