Kyle Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Fuels Atlanta Remarkable Comeback Victory Against Tampa Bay.
The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the span of five days to two division opponents who are out of play-off the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started 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 game with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
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 wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last four matchups. Only the division winner is assured a play-off spot.