Kyle Pitts spent the early part of the season looking like an afterthought in the Atlanta Falcons offense. Through the first three weeks, he had just two catches for 15 yards, a stretch that made his three-year, $54 million extension look like a bad bet.
That picture has shifted over the last three games. Atlanta has steadily increased his route participation and target share, and it all came together in the Falcons’ 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
Pitts delivered his best outing of the season, catching seven targets for a season-high 60 yards and two touchdowns. He also supplied the kind of chunk plays Atlanta had been missing from him, helping drive the team’s comeback attempt.
One of the biggest moments came in the fourth quarter, when Pitts went to work on a 29-yard gain that set Atlanta up in the red zone. He mossed Elijah Hicks and likely snatched an interception from him, then juked Nick McCloud and tried to hurdle another Bears defender before finishing the drive with a score.
Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said the team was trying to get Pitts more involved, and that approach is finally showing up in the production. Over the last few games, Atlanta has leaned on him more as a YAC threat, which has made it easier for Michael Penix Jr. to find him.
Pitts is now the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL, behind Trey McBride and George Kittle, at $18 million a year. For the first time since signing that deal, he looks like he’s playing up to it.
Drake London and Bijan Robinson remain the focal points of the offense, but that hasn’t always worked in Pitts’ favor. At times, Atlanta has let his talent and contract get buried under the weight of those two stars. A performance like this makes it harder to keep doing that.
Still, the timing matters. Pitts didn’t get this kind of usage until the fourth quarter of a 24-point game, and through the first three quarters he had only one catch for six yards. Much of his damage came against Bears backups in what was essentially garbage time, which leaves the bigger question unanswered: can Atlanta get him involved when the game is still competitive?
That should be the goal in an offense built to maximize tight ends. Pitts ought to be a built-in outlet, especially when Penix is under pressure and Atlanta needs someone other than London to lean on.
At 6-foot-6 with 4.4 speed, Pitts has the kind of profile that can wreck a defense. He’s too large for a corner and too fast for a linebacker or safety, which is why he should be a dangerous middle-of-the-field option.
And as the source article notes, the former Mackey Award winner is always open. With London drawing attention in the red zone and defenses crowding the box when Robinson is on the field, Atlanta should be finding more ways to feed Pitts.
The target is there. The game plan just has to use it more often.
In Other News...
Falcons May Have Started A Front Office Trend Fans Didn't Expect
The Colts decision to move on from Chris Ballard has opened an unusual front-office path, and it traces back to Atlanta. Indianapolis is reportedly looking at Peyton Manning for a possible executive role, a move shaped in part by the Falcons decision to bring Matt Ryan into the organization as president of football. For a franchise searching for its next direction, the idea is to lean on a face of the franchise who understands the building from the inside, even if he has never run a front office before.
Mannings name has become part of the early discussion as the Colts sort through what comes next, with the team also weighing how much responsibility such a role would actually carry. He could be asked to oversee the hunt for a new general manager and other key hires, in a structure that would look more like Ryans Falcons post than a traditional GM job. The question now is whether Manning would even want that kind of commitment, given his existing obligations and the fact that his executive rsum is still largely theoretical. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Make Another Urgent Edge Rush Move As Depth Crisis Grows
The Falcons kept digging for help off the edge, adding Charles Snowden from Washingtons practice squad and clearing room by releasing Bralen Trice from the 53-man roster. It was the latest sign that Atlanta is trying to stabilize a position group that has been stretched thin by injuries and suspensions, forcing the front office to keep turning over the bottom of the roster for usable bodies.
Snowden arrives with a chance to plug into a defense that needs immediate depth, even if the move comes with some obvious risk. Atlanta is operating in an urgent spot along the edge, and the roster shuffle reflects how quickly the team has had to react as absences continue to pile up at one of its most important spots. [Read more 🡒]
Bijan Robinson Just Exposed A Falcons Problem They Can't Ignore
Bijan Robinsons day in the Falcons Week 6 loss to the Bears was a reminder that his role in the passing game goes beyond catching the ball and creating mismatches in space. With Atlantas offensive line already having issues handling Chicagos blitz looks, Robinson was asked to help in protection, and the snaps in that area became a real problem for a team that leans on him in so many ways.
What makes it tougher for Atlanta is that the Bears were not even at full strength up front, yet the pressure still found its way through. If Robinson is going to stay on the field for all the situations the Falcons want from him, the pass-blocking piece has to tighten up, because that part of his game can shape both his effectiveness and how often the staff trusts him in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]