The Falcons have finally started getting Kyle Pitts the ball like they mean it, and the timing couldn’t be better.
After a quiet opening stretch, Atlanta has made a real effort to build Pitts into the offense, and the results have shown up fast. He’s scored four touchdowns over his last three games and is starting to look like the player the Falcons paid for when they handed him a three-year, $54 million extension this summer.
What’s changed is how they’re using him. Pitts is getting schemed touches now, and Atlanta is leaning into what he does best after the catch. That gives Michael Penix Jr. a different kind of outlet and forces defenses to treat Pitts with the same respect they give Drake London or Bijan Robinson.
Now comes the part that should have Falcons fans paying close attention: Tampa Bay.
For whatever reason, Pitts has made a habit of carving up the Buccaneers. That’s been the one steady thing in a career that’s had plenty of ups and downs. When Atlanta sees Tampa, Pitts usually shows up.
The last time these teams met, he turned in one of the most memorable games of his career: 11 catches, 166 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-29 win on Thursday Night Football. That was the kind of night that sent fantasy managers into the next round and left Tampa Bay searching for answers. Even in Tampa in 2024, he still went for four catches, 91 yards and two touchdowns.
And Atlanta may need that kind of production again on Sunday.
The Buccaneers have been brutal on opposing WR1s and own the NFL’s second-best run defense, which puts real pressure on the Falcons’ usual stars. The numbers back that up. Against Tampa Bay, Ja’Marr Chase had 2 catches for 12 yards, CeeDee Lamb had 2 catches for 19 yards, Tetairoa McMillan had 4 catches for 40 yards, Justin Jefferson had 2 catches for 32 yards before getting injured in the first quarter, and Christian Watson had 3 catches for 47 yards.
The ground game hasn’t offered much help either. Tampa Bay hasn’t allowed a top running back to go for more than 58 rushing yards, so Atlanta may need to get Bijan Robinson involved as a receiver to keep the offense moving.
That’s where Pitts comes back into focus. Tampa Bay’s defense has been vulnerable in the middle of the field, and tight ends have a chance to do damage there. The Bucs have been giving up easy completions over the middle, and that problem has been even more noticeable without Antoine Winfield Jr. over the last two weeks.
Pitts should have a clear path to work in that area. He’s the kind of tight end who can find space, and if London has a tough day, Penix may have no choice but to keep looking his way.
Across eight career games against Tampa Bay, the 26-year-old has 44 catches for 629 yards and six touchdowns, which are his best numbers against any single opponent. The matchup also lines up well if Alex Anzalone is the linebacker across from him.
There’s a reason Kyle Pitts seems to bring out the worst in Todd Bowles. Once a year, usually in Tampa, he tends to put together a big one against the Buccaneers. Atlanta has already started using him more in the red zone, but Week 8 may demand even more.
The “Aura King,” as one of my childhood friends calls him, looks set up for another strong day against his favorite opponent. If he delivers again, it could go a long way toward helping the Falcons pull out a win and close the gap in the NFC South.
In Other News...
Falcons Win Put Dre Greenlaw Right Back In The NFL Spotlight
Dre Greenlaw found himself back in the NFL spotlight this week after the league handed down discipline tied to his latest on-field lapse. The 49ers linebacker had already served a one-game suspension for a headbutt involving Seattles Ernest Jones IV, and this time the league moved with a fine ahead of San Franciscos Week 8 game rather than another ban.
For Atlanta, the issue is less about the paperwork and more about what happened in the game itself. Greenlaws contact with Drake London came during the Falcons 29-20 win over San Francisco, a moment that fit into a physical afternoon and kept the focus on how quickly the league has had to revisit the linebackers conduct. The absence of a further suspension leaves the matter settled for now, even if it hardly closes the book on the attention Greenlaw continues to draw. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Have A Few Big Contract Decisions Coming Into Focus
The Falcons have spent the past stretch locking up important pieces of their core, with long-term extensions already in place for players such as Bijan Robinson and Drake London. That kind of business has helped stabilize the roster, but it also shifts attention to the next wave of decisions, especially with several players now lining up to reach free agency after the 2027 season.
Among the names coming into focus are a pair of defenders who have become central to Atlantas plans, along with a handful of other offensive and defensive players who could factor into the clubs long-range cap picture. The list gives the Falcons a clearer sense of what is ahead, even if the most pressing questions are still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookie Faces Heartbreaking Reality Before His NFL Debut
Anterio Thompsons path to the NFL has taken a devastating turn before it ever had a chance to begin. The Falcons rookie defensive tackle, a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, had been on the non-football injury list since the start of training camp, and his status had already raised questions about when he might finally get on the field.
Those questions were answered in heartbreaking fashion when Thompson shared on social media that a genetic mutation affecting his spinal cord will keep him from playing football again. For Atlanta, it is a cruel end to a player the team had just added to its future, and for Thompson it closes the door on a professional debut that never arrived. [Read more 🡒]