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Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Pitts Hat-Trick Powers Atlanta Remarkable Fightback Win Over Buccaneers.

Kyle Pitts celebrates during the contest.

The star tight end has now scored 14 touchdowns since being drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 selection process.

National Football League 2025 Campaign: Week 15

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

Kicker Zane Gonzalez converted a game-winning field goal as time expired, while Pitts became only the eighth tight end in league history to record three receiving catches and more than 150 yards through the air in a single contest.

After starting the season as one of the NFL's early-season leaders, the Buccaneers have now fallen from the summit of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 games remaining in the regular season.

They currently possess a 7-7 mark after suffering five of their last six games. This features back-to-back home-field defeats in the span of five days to two division opponents who are out of postseason the race.

Contest Summary

The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons took a 14-13 lead at half-time. This came after Pitts, who entered Thursday's game with just one touchdown all year, claimed his initial pair of touchdowns.

The Buccaneers then surged into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after QB Baker Mayfield connected on touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.

Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was making his fourth consecutive 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 illustrious career.

Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts completed his hat-trick. Atlanta then regained possession with under two minutes remaining.

And despite being pinned to a difficult third-down situation after a fumble recovery and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes 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 finished with 373 yards through the air and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who collected 166 receiving yards from eleven receptions.

Playoff Implications

Atlanta is now 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 will face the Buccaneers in two of their last 4 games. Only the team that wins the division is assured a play-off spot.

Written by

Samuel Garcia

Urban planner and writer passionate about sustainable city development and community engagement in the UK.

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