The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are out of play-off the race.
Contest Recap
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 touchdown all season, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old 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 completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset 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 final four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
