Pitts Hat-Trick Powers Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Victory Over Buccaneers.
Kyle Pitts has now scored 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After beginning the year as one of the NFL's early-season pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six outings. This includes consecutive home-field losses in the space of five days to two division opponents who are eliminated from postseason the race.
Game Summary
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 matchup with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 advantage early in the final quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on 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 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 completed 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 ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed crucial throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 yards from 11 catches.
Playoff 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 four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a play-off berth.
