Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are out of play-off contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced 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 proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found 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 recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 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 two of their final 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
