Kyle Pitts Hat-Trick Fuels Falcons Stunning Comeback Win Over Buccaneers.
The star tight end has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being selected as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a clutch field goal as time ran out, 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 game.
After starting the season as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just three contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering 5 of their last six games. This includes back-to-back home defeats in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason contention.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single score all year, claimed his first two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was starting his fourth consecutive start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta's primary quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran then led the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his illustrious career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. 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 ten-yard penalty, Cousins made crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished 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 did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now sit atop the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their final 4 matchups. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off berth.
