The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and over 150 yards through the air in a single game.
After starting 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 initial time in 2025, with just three contests remaining in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the space of five days to two division rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just one score all season, hauled in his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced signal-caller 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 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained the ball 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 made crucial throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from 11 catches.
Playoff Implications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their final 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off berth.
