The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their previous six outings. This features consecutive home losses in the span of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all season, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for 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 postseason berth.
