Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and over 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home losses in the space of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are out of play-off the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened 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 matchup with just a single score all year, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 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 are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their final four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
