The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six outings. This features consecutive home defeats in the span of five days to two division 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 half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, claimed his first two scores.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with less than 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 wideout 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 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory 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 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
