Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After beginning the year 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 three games left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering five of their last six games. This features consecutive home-field defeats in the space of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started 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 game with just a single score all season, claimed his first two scores.
The home team then surged 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 starting his fourth consecutive 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 found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 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 are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason berth.