The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After beginning 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 three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller 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 rally of his distinguished career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found 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 despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 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 final four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
