Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic rally to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, 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 now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six outings. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset 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 last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
