Kyle Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Powers Atlanta Stunning Fightback Win Over Buccaneers.
The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
NFL 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts registered three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to record three touchdown catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single contest.
After starting the season 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 remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 mark after losing five of their last six outings. This includes consecutive home defeats in the space of five days to two divisional opponents 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 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 games. Only the division winner is assured a postseason spot.