The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering 5 of their last six games. This features consecutive home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are out of play-off the race.
Game 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 came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason 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 2 of their final four matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
