The star tight end has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two divisional rivals who are out of play-off the race.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their final 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
