The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted 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 secure a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting the season 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 3 games remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after losing five of their last six games. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of 5 days to two division rivals who are out of play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller 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 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes 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 finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped 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 team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
