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 scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six outings. This includes consecutive home-field defeats in the space of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes 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 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished career.
Running back 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 even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 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 sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason berth.
