Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning 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 receiving yards in a single game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three games left in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their last six games. This features consecutive home defeats in the space of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason 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 4 games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off spot.
