Kyle Pitts has a knack for showing up when National Tight Ends Day rolls around, and Week 7 gives the Falcons another chance to feed that trend.
The holiday traces back to a joke Jimmy Garoppolo cracked after throwing a touchdown to Garrett Celek: "What is today, National Tight Ends Day?" The line stuck, the NFL ran with it, and since 2019 the fourth Sunday in October has turned into a real thing - now in its eighth year.
For Atlanta, it has often meant Pitts stealing the spotlight. Across five National Tight Ends Days, he has averaged about 5.6 catches, 88 yards and 15.7 yards per reception, with a string of big outings mixed in.
As a rookie in 2021, he went for 7 catches and 163 yards in a win over the Dolphins. In 2024, he put up more than 90 yards and scored twice against the Bucs.
He also helped swing the 2023 matchup with Tampa Bay when he hauled in a 39-yard one-handed catch-and-run in the final minute, setting up Younghoe Koo’s game-winning field goal.
That history matters because the Falcons need Pitts involved again. After two straight losses, Atlanta has seen a sharp uptick from its tight end. Over those defeats, Pitts has stacked three touchdowns on 10 targets and more than 100 yards, a clear turnaround from the first four games of the season, when he had just five catches for 67 yards.
Now comes a tougher test against the 49ers, and Raheem Morris is in the middle of it. Atlanta will see its former head coach on the other sideline, and he now serves as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator. Morris and Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich are close friends and longtime collaborators, so there’s a built-in chess match here as both staffs try to pick apart the other.
The matchup won’t hand Pitts anything. San Francisco has allowed just 41.8 receiving yards per game to tight ends this season and has not given up a touchdown to the position. On paper, that makes another monster National Tight Ends Day performance a long shot.
Still, there’s a path for Pitts to matter. The 49ers’ defense under Morris has been third in the NFL in pressure rate in each of the last two weeks, and Michael Penix Jr. usually does not thrive when the heat is on.
That can work in Pitts’ favor, though, because quick throws and short-game targets could become necessary. He showed last weekend he can do damage after the catch.
The Falcons don’t need Pitts to take over the game. They just need him to keep making plays, especially if the offense leans more heavily on the run.
That could open the door for Tommy Rees to use heavier sets, lean into play-action, work screens, and build short routes off boots. If Atlanta wants to keep Pitts in the picture on National Tight Ends Day Sunday, those are the kinds of looks that can make it happen.
In Other News...
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Michael Jerrells move to injured reserve only underscored how much strain the Falcons are carrying up front, and the list of sidelined players still includes wide receiver Beaux Collins and offensive tackle Cameron Williams. Getting Terrell back helps on a defense that will need all the help it can get against San Francisco, but the bigger question is how much stability Atlanta can recover with so many moving parts still in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Catch A Break As 49ers Face A Serious Week 7 Problem
Nick Bosas absence is becoming one of the defining stories around San Franciscos week, and it matters in Atlanta too. The 49ers are already dealing with a serious injury situation, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team could be short of 48 healthy players for its upcoming matchup with the Falcons, a grim spot for any roster to be in this late in the week.
Bosa was originally hopeful he could work his way back after the calf injury he picked up in practice before Week 3, but the return never quite got there. Shanahan said a workout left him sore, which pushed the timeline back again and kept the star pass rusher on the sideline, leaving the Falcons with a little more room to breathe as they prepare for a San Francisco team trying to piece itself together. [Read more 🡒]