Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic comeback to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After beginning the season 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 three contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division rivals who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller 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 proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key throws 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 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
