NE Atlanta News

TAMPA, Fla. — Kyle Pitts marked National Tight Ends Day with a standout performance in the Atlanta Falcons' 31-26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The tight end's four receptions for 91 yards were his best of the season, although not career highs. What stood out were his two touchdowns, marking his first multi-score game since his college days at the University of Florida in 2020.

"That was pretty different," Pitts remarked about scoring twice. "I haven't had one of those since college, so that was pretty cool. And it was National Tight Ends Day, so that was awesome."

Pitts' first touchdown came from a 36-yard reception on a fourth-and-three play. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins evaded pressure to launch a deep pass, which Pitts caught before outrunning Buccaneers safety Kaevon Merriweather to score.

"I just put some air on it and said go run underneath it," Cousins explained. "What (Pitts) does so well, once he catches it, is his ability to pull away."

The second touchdown nearly slipped away as Pitts slowed near the goal line and lost the ball after being tackled by Antoine Winfield Jr. However, officials confirmed that the ball crossed into the end zone before coming loose.

"It felt like almost 20 minutes," Pitts recalled during the review process. "I was like, 'Oh, Lord, this is not looking good.' But tight end gods saved it."

Alongside these highlights, Pitts also completed passes for 2 and 4 yards and missed only one target during the game. This performance brings him to a total of 419 receiving yards for the season with an average of 52.4 yards per game and three touchdowns.

"Kyle is just becoming a better player and better person every single day," noted Falcons safety Jessie Bates III. He credited quarterback Kirk Cousins for fostering belief in Pitts' potential.

Pitts made an impressive start in his rookie year with 1,026 receiving yards but faced setbacks due to injuries in subsequent seasons. Sunday's game indicated a return to form for the former first-round draft pick.

"Having that sore knee, last year was a long year," Pitts reflected on past challenges. "Now, just a new team and a new year back to myself, it's pretty cool to see what we're doing."