Kyle Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Powers Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Victory Over Tampa Bay.
The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a same game.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their previous six outings. This features consecutive home-field losses in the span of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-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 NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from 11 receptions.
Playoff Implications
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 games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason spot.
