NFL Scores: Falcons spoil Bucs’ playoff hopes behind Kyle Pitts’ big night

It was a hotly contested NFC South game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and the latter wanted to play the role of spoiler.

The Falcons, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week, made it tougher for the Bucs to win the division after a Zane Gonzalez field goal in a 29-28 victory.

Tampa Bay is now 7-7 on the year, after losing its last two games, while the Falcons are 5-9.

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One of the big storylines of the game was the return of veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, who had been out since Week 4 with a collarbone injury.

While many wondered if the Bucs would have him on an instant count, that didn’t seem to be the case since quarterback Baker Mayfield loved getting him the ball in this one. Evans finished with 132 yards on just six catches to lead the way for the Bucs in the passing game.

However, Evans’ impressive performance was nothing compared to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who had a career game on “Thursday Night Football.” In the absence of star receiver Drake London, Pitts became Kirk Cousins’ favorite target that night.

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The 6-foot-6 tight end passed for three touchdowns and 166 yards on 11 catches, as he and Cousins ​​found a quick connection early and it came into play late in the game.

After Mayfield was taken down by Dee Alford in a 28–20 game, Cousins ​​and the Falcons’ offense had an opportunity to drive down the field and tie the game, provided they scored a touchdown and made a two-point conversion.

Cousins, having found Pitts twice before, threw a pass to his trusty tight end, who secured it and managed to stay inbounds for his third score of the night. A video review was necessary to determine if he remained in bounds, and although it appeared his elbow was out, his butt hit the turf in bounds at the same time. With officials initially calling a touchdown, there was insufficient evidence to overturn the score.

Kirk Cousins ​​of the Atlanta Falcons warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on December 11, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

But the Bucs still led by two and needed a big stop on the two-point play. That’s exactly what they got, as Cousins ​​was in a hurry and the pass went incomplete.

Mayfield, who had two touchdown passes in that game to Chris Godwin and Devin Culp, knew they could ice the game with a couple of first downs on the next drive. But dropped back to third and 14, Mayfield was sacked after a two-minute warning.

Cousins ​​had no timeouts to work with after getting the ball, and it was an inauspicious start to the game when he was sacked and the game could have ended at that point.

But the decision was that both the Bucs and Falcons had the ball, meaning the tie went to the offensive team. That still brought Cousins ​​back to second-and-18, which turned into second-and-28 following a holding penalty that was accepted after a miss.

Cousins, however, used Pitts and David Sills V to get the mileage needed to keep the drive alive. The Falcons were within field goal range of Gonzalez, who ultimately buried the 43-yarder for the win.

The Bucs led 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but a defensive breakdown at the worst possible time ultimately cost them.

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In the box score, Cousins ​​was phenomenal in prime time, passing for 373 yards with his three connections with Pitts.

And we can’t forget Bijan Robinson, the league leader in scrimmage yards who totaled 175 (93 rushing, 82 receiving) on ​​27 total touches for Atlanta.