Kyle Pitts Hat-Trick Powers Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Victory Against 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 Season: The fifteenth week
Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a dramatic comeback to snatch a nail-biting 29-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time expired, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL history to record three touchdown catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a single game.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial pacesetters, the Buccaneers have now dropped from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests left in the regular season.
They now hold a 7-7 record after losing 5 of their previous six games. This includes back-to-back home losses in the span of five days to two divisional rivals who are eliminated from play-off contention.
Game Summary
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all season, claimed his first two scores.
The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the final quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw touchdown throws to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.
Experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a year-ending injury to Atlanta's starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The veteran proceeded to guide the Falcons to the thirty-second final period comeback of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his three-touchdown game. Atlanta then regained the ball with less than two minutes left on the clock.
And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to position the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.
Postseason Implications
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 are set to face the Buccaneers in 2 of their final four matchups. Only the team that wins the division is guaranteed a postseason spot.
