The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league 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 early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six games. This features back-to-back home losses in the space of five days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get 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 touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset 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 2 of their last four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
