Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts had a career night against the Buccaneers on Thursday and he put up numbers that only a handful of other tight ends have matched in the process.
Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns during the 29-28 comeback win. He’s the first tight end to pick up at least 150 yards while scoring three times since Shannon Sharpe in 1996. Per ESPN research, Kellen Winslow Sr., Todd Christensen, and Rich Caster are the only other tight ends to do the same since the AFL-NFL merger.
Pitts’ third touchdown came as he fell on his backside while going out of bounds and was subject to a lengthy review to see if his cheek hit the end zone before his elbow hit the sideline. It was called a score on the field, which brought the Falcons within 28-26 in the fourth quarter, and upheld after that review.
“I definitely thought I got the second foot down,” Pitts said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. “I didn’t know it was my cheek.”
The Falcons thought Pitts would have dominant nights a little more often when they drafted him fourth overall in 2021, but his performance has been lackluster for most of his time in Atlanta. He’s set for free agency this offseason and Thursday night’s performance will likely be a selling point as he looks for his next contract.
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