Kyle Pitts Hat-Trick Fuels Atlanta Remarkable Comeback Win Over Buccaneers.

National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week

Kyle Pitts registered three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons mounted a late comeback to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts became only the 8th tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 receiving yards in a same contest.

After beginning the season as one of the NFL's initial leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the top of the AFC South for the first time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.

They currently possess a 7-7 record after losing five of their last six games. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the space of 5 days to two divisional opponents who are eliminated from play-off contention.

Game Recap

The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons took a 14-13 advantage at the intermission. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's matchup with just a single touchdown all year, claimed his first two scores.

The home team then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the final period after QB Baker Mayfield threw touchdown 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 starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 37-year-old then led the Falcons to the thirty-second fourth-quarter rally of his illustrious career.

Tailback Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his three-touchdown game. Atlanta subsequently won back possession with under two minutes remaining.

And even after being backed up to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard infraction, Cousins made key throws to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in field goal range for Gonzalez to drill a 43-yard game winner.

Cousins ended the day with 373 passing yards and three scoring throws to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven catches.

Postseason Implications

Atlanta is now 5-9, and their upset of Tampa Bay greatly helped the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers (7-6) now lead the NFC South and will face the Buccaneers in 2 of their last four games. Only the division winner is assured a play-off berth.