The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal 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 single contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their previous six games. This features consecutive home-field losses in the span of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all season, claimed his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight 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 rally of his distinguished career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the division winner is assured a postseason berth.
