Kyle Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Fuels Atlanta Stunning Comeback Win Over Buccaneers.
The star tight end has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic comeback to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal 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 single game.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their last six outings. This features consecutive home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division rivals who are eliminated from play-off the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the fourth period after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained possession with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And even after being backed up to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in 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 yards from 11 catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped 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 4 matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off spot.
