Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 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 will face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
