The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering 5 of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all year, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their final four games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off spot.
