The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with their recent loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home. Still, they continue to show fight, grit, and pride as they went on the road to Tampa Bay and defeated the Buccaneers 29-28 in a comeback win to kick off Week 15.
Atlanta’s offense was on fire, scoring four touchdowns from that unit. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson called a balanced offense, and when it was time to show up, they got it done. Quarterback Kirk Cousins went 30/44 with 373 yards passing and three touchdowns to zero interceptions and no turnovers. Turnovers have been a bit of an issue for Cousins at times, but he was able to play a solid game outside of a fumble that happened to be recovered by the offense. But the star of the show tonight was tight end Pitts Sr.
Kyle Pitts Sr. Tremendous Game vs. Tampa Bay
On Thursday against Tampa Bay, Falcons’ tight end Pitts Sr. had a tremendous game, catching 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Pitts Sr. was un-guardable, creating separation and getting open in space. Pitts Sr. did a good job of getting open across the middle and serving as a security blanket for Cousins. Cousins relied heavily on Pitts Sr., and he consistently made the big plays when the ball was thrown his way.
Pitts Sr. is an immense talent whose athleticism is off the charts. If a quarterback throws it up, he has a high chance of getting and securing the reception. However, Pitts’ season hasn’t been the most productive up to this point, as his next-best game was against Seattle last week, where he had six catches for 90 yards. Pitts was questionable going into this game due to a knee injury, but he was listed as active and played tonight.
Pitts Sr. can be considered a hybrid tight end who can block and catch, but his blocking wasn’t always the best, although it did improve. He can be lined up at receiver as well, as he has the skillset to win favorable matchups on the perimeter. Pitts Sr. showed off the talent that made him a commodity at the University of Florida years ago. PFSN has Pitts Sr. at a 79.9 Tight End Impact Score.
Tampa Bay’s Playoff Hopes
Tampa Bay lost against division rival, the New Orleans Saints, last week and needed to win their four remaining games to have their best chance of winning the NFC South, but the loss to Atlanta on Thursday Night Football stifles things a bit, as Tampa Bay will go against the Carolina Panthers twice in their last three and will need to win those games.
Atlanta’s players showed that they may be down, but they didn’t quit, and that was key to their victory.
