Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 triumph 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 touchdown catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a same contest.
After starting 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 remaining in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the space of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are out of postseason contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield threw scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured 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 infraction, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in 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 yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.