Kyle Pitts Three-Touchdown Performance Fuels Falcons Remarkable Comeback Victory Against Buccaneers.
The star tight end has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six outings. This includes back-to-back home-field losses in the space of five days to two divisional opponents who are out of play-off contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making 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 found the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins made crucial throws 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 touchdown throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta is now 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 2 of their final 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
