The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit 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 suffering five of their last six games. This features consecutive home defeats in the space of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting 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 final period rally of his distinguished NFL tenure.
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 left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped 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 spot.
