The star tight end has now recorded 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 notched three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the space of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single score all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason spot.
