Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Fuels Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Win Against Buccaneers.
Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same game.
After beginning the year 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 three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their last six games. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the space of 5 days to two division rivals who are out of play-off the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 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 lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off spot.
