Kyle Pitts Hat-Trick Fuels Falcons Stunning Fightback Win Against Tampa Bay.
Kyle Pitts has now recorded 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the number four overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a dramatic rally to secure a last-gasp 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker Zane Gonzalez converted a clutch field goal as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the eighth tight end in league history to achieve three touchdown catches and over 150 receiving yards in a same contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular campaign.
They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their last six outings. This features consecutive home-field defeats in the space of five days to two division rivals who are out of play-off the race.
Contest Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 lead 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 then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw scoring throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a season-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 career.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. 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 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed key throws to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to position the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta improved to 5-9, and their surprise victory 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 final 4 games. Only the division winner is guaranteed a play-off spot.