Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 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 8th tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 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 summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their last six games. This includes back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one score all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran 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 secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed key throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from eleven catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their final 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off berth.
