The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, 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 campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home losses in the space of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured 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 recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
