Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes consecutive home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two divisional rivals who are out of play-off the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason spot.