Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single score all season, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on 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 starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into 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 despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last 4 games. Only the division winner is assured a postseason berth.
