The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games left in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering 5 of their previous six games. This features consecutive home-field losses in the span of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws 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 primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball 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 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in 2 of their final four games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off berth.
