Falcons shock Bucs with walk-off field goal as Kyle Pitts totals 3 touchdowns in career game

It was a hard-fought NFC South matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night and the latter demanded to play spoiler The Falcons who were eliminated from the playoffs last week made it harder for the Bucs to win the division after a walk-off field goal by Zane Gonzalez in a - domination Tampa Bay is now - on the year having lost their last two games while the Falcons are - CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS COMOne of the big storylines coming into the championship was the return of veteran receiver Mike Evans who had been sidelined since Week with a collarbone injury While a large number of wondered if the Bucs would have him on a snap count it didn t seem that way as quarterback Baker Mayfield loved getting him the ball in this one Evans finished with yards on just six catches to lead the way for the Bucs in the pass tournament However Evans impressive performance was nothing compared to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts who had a career meeting on Thursday Night Football In the absence of star receiver Drake London Pitts became Kirk Cousins favorite target on the night TOM BRADY MAILBAG THE ONE FOOD THE GOAT CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT AND IT'S NOT AVOCADO ICE CREAMThe -foot- tight end had three touchdown catches and yards on catches as he and Cousins detected a quick connection early and it came in clutch late in the event After Mayfield was picked off by Dee Alford in a - meeting Cousins and the Falcons offense had the opportunity to march down the field and tie the competition granted they scored a touchdown and had a accomplished two-point conversion Cousins having identified Pitts twice before lofted a pass to his trusty tight end who secured it and managed to stay in bounds for his third tally of the night Video review was needed to determine if he stayed in bounds and while it appeared his elbow was out his backside hit the turf in bounds at the same moment With officers calling a touchdown initially it was insufficient evidence to overturn the points But the Bucs were still up two needing a big stop on the two-point play They got just that as Cousins was hurried and the pass went incomplete Mayfield who had two touchdown passes in this challenge to Chris Godwin and Devin Culp knew they could ice the championship with a limited first downs on the ensuing drive But backed up on third-and- Mayfield was sacked at the two-minute warning Cousins didn t have any timeouts to work with after getting the ball back and it was an inauspicious start to the drive when he was strip-sacked and the competition could ve been over right then and there But the ruling was both the Bucs and Falcons had the ball meaning the tie goes to the group who was on offense That still set Cousins back to second-and- which turned into second-and- on a holding penalty that was accepted after an incompletion Cousins though used Pitts and David Sills V to get the yardage needed to keep the drive alive The Falcons were in field goal range for Gonzalez who eventually buried the -yarder for the win The Bucs were up - heading into the fourth quarter but a defensive breakdown at the worst time cost them in the end In the box amount Cousins was phenomenal in primetime passing for yards with his three connections to Pitts And we can t forget about Bijan Robinson the league-leader in scrimmage yards who totaled rushing receiving on total touches for Atlanta Follow Fox News Digital s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter