🔗 Share this article

National Football League 2025 Season: The fifteenth week

Kyle Pitts scored three scores as the Atlanta Falcons engineered a late rally to secure a nail-biting 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Placekicker Zane Gonzalez booted a game-winning kick as time ran out, while Pitts etched his name as only the 8th tight end in NFL 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 top of the AFC South for the initial time in 2025, with just 3 contests remaining in the regular campaign.

They currently possess a 7-7 mark after losing five of their last six outings. This features back-to-back home-field losses in the span of 5 days to two division opponents who are out of postseason the race.

Game Summary

The Buccaneers started the scoring with a Sean Tucker score before the Falcons held a 14-13 advantage at half-time. This followed Pitts, who came into Thursday's game with just a single touchdown all year, hauled in his initial pair of scores.

The Buccaneers subsequently raced into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.

Veteran signal-caller 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 final period rally of his illustrious NFL tenure.

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

And despite being pinned to a third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a ten-yard penalty, Cousins completed key passes to Pitts and wideout David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.

Cousins ended the day with 373 yards through the air and three scoring passes to Pitts, who amassed 166 receiving yards from 11 catches.

Postseason Implications

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 postseason berth.