The star tight end has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the space of 5 days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one touchdown all year, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason 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 2 of their last 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
