Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the span of five days to two division opponents who are out of postseason contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on 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 primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
