Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 yards through the air in a same game.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single score all season, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led 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 then regained the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards 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 greatly helped 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 four matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
