Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to secure a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after losing five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two divisional opponents who are out of postseason the race.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, claimed his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his distinguished career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes 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 passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset 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 division winner is assured a postseason berth.
