The star tight end has now scored 14 scores since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 selection process.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts notched three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After beginning the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just three games left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing five of their previous six outings. This includes back-to-back home losses in the space of five days to two divisional rivals who are out of postseason the race.
Contest Recap
The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one score all year, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring passes 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 37-year-old proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter comeback of his distinguished NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson found the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown throws to Pitts, who amassed 166 yards from eleven catches.
Postseason Implications
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 two of their last four games. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason berth.
