The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Season: Week 15
Kyle Pitts notched three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular campaign.
They now hold a 7-7 record after suffering 5 of their last six games. This features consecutive home defeats in the span of five days to two divisional rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown 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 score all year, claimed 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 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 then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than 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 completed key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick 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 catches.
Playoff Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 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 last 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
