The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
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 three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six outings. This includes consecutive home defeats in the space of five days to two division rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single score all year, hauled in his first two touchdowns.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial throws 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 passing yards and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last four matchups. Only the division winner is assured a play-off spot.
