Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Fuels Falcons Remarkable Comeback Victory Against Tampa Bay.
Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same game.
After starting the year 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 contests remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the span of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from play-off the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring 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 final period comeback of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-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 ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Ramifications
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 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
