Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and over 150 receiving yards in a single 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 first time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the space of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single score all season, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring 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 thirty-second final period comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with under two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving 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 4 games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
