Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted 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 over 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting 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 initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six games. This includes consecutive home defeats in the space of five days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single score all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran 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 thirty-second final period comeback of his distinguished career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball 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 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick 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.
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 will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
