Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division opponents who are out of postseason contention.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single score all year, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw 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 primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under 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 completed crucial throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day 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 are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last four games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off berth.
