The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted 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 receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial 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 season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the space of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of play-off the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's matchup with just a single touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage 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 veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his illustrious career.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
