The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home losses in the span of five days to two divisional rivals 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 came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a year-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 career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Ramifications
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 2 of their final four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
