Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This features back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason contention.
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The home team subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and wideout 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 throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven receptions.
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their final four games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a postseason spot.
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.