TAMPA — Kyle Pitts had one of the best tight-end performances in NFL history in the Atlanta Falcons’ 29-28, come-from-behind win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns, making him the first tight end to reach at least 150 yards with three touchdowns in a game since Shannon Sharpe in 1996, according to ESPN Research. Only five tight ends have reached those totals in a game since 1970: Pitts, Sharpe, Kellen Winslow in 1983, Todd Christensen in 1983 and Rich Caster in 1972.
“It means a lot,” Pitts said. “[Sharpe] is a great person to be behind, or beside now. Just want to keep competing and just put another one on tape.”
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Pitts’ touchdown catches from quarterback Kirk Cousins were for 8 yards, 17 yards and 7 yards. The last one got the Falcons within 28-26 with 4:48 left. Pitts made the catch and barely stayed in bounds with his rear landing in the end zone.
“I definitely thought I got the second foot down,” Pitts said. “I didn’t know it was my cheek.”
The Falcons failed to tie the score on a two-point conversion, but Pitts had another reception for 14 yards on the final drive to help get them into field goal position. Kicker Zane Gonzalez made a game-winning 43-yard kick as time ran out.
This was Pitts’ first 100-yard receiving game since 2021, his rookie season. He went over 100 yards with two touchdowns in the first half alone, the first Falcons player to do that since Calvin Ridley in 2018.
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts had his first 100-yard receiving game since his 2021 rookie season, finishing with 166 yards on 11 catches and three touchdowns. Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
“He’s just a talented player who can really separate,” Cousins said of Pitts. “Again, [offensive coordinator] Zac [Robinson] did a great job drawing up a couple red-zone plays for him where he could make a play. … There was even a couple, if you go back and watch the tape, where I could have pushed it down the field to Kyle more. And it ended up I couldn’t really see it, so I checked it down. There was a lot of production tonight, but probably a little more out there.”
Stats aside, Pitts said he was more gratified by the win, which was just the Falcons’ second in their past nine games. Atlanta was eliminated from playoff contention after last week’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
“We’ve been having our ups and downs through the year,” Pitts said. “Obviously, it’s not fun to be eliminated early. But we’re resilient. The team we have, we’re just tight together, tight-knit. And we fight for each other. At this point, we’re just playing for each other. As we were before, now it’s just more enhanced. It was pretty fun to get that win.”
