The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess 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 rivals who are out of play-off contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory 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 2 of their final four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a postseason spot.
