Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four 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 comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as 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 year as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games left in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their previous six outings. This includes consecutive home losses in the span of five days to two division rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his first two scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Ramifications
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 two of their final four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
