The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
NFL 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored 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 clutch kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home losses in the space of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for 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 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
