The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to record three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the space of five days to two divisional rivals who are out of play-off contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws 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 veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their final four games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
