Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six games. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two division opponents 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 followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes 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 rally of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 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 2 of their last 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
