Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning 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 3 games remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six outings. This includes consecutive home losses in the space of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes 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.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a ten-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 game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset 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 2 of their final four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
