The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two division rivals who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal 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 catches.
Postseason 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 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off spot.
