The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted 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 dramatic rally to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in NFL history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single contest.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all season, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
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 games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off spot.
