Kyle Pitts Hat-Trick Fuels Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Win Over Tampa Bay.
The star tight end has now recorded 14 scores since being selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft.
National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15
Kyle Pitts scored three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late rally to snatch a last-gasp 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time expired, 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 contest.
After starting the year as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 games left in the regular season.
They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing 5 of their previous six outings. This features consecutive home-field losses in the space of five days to two divisional opponents who are out of play-off contention.
Game Recap
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This came after Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just one touchdown all season, hauled in his first two scores.
The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 advantage early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield connected on scoring 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 then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.
Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts secured his hat-trick. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with less than two minutes remaining.
And despite being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard infraction, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard winning field goal.
Cousins finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 receptions.
Postseason Ramifications
Atlanta is now 5-9, and their surprise victory of Tampa Bay did a favour for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off spot.
