When the Atlanta Falcons declared Michael Penix Jr. their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, the next obvious step seemed to be for the team to cut or trade Kirk Cousins.

They kept him around. It’s not like Cousins’ big game saves the Falcons’ season or anything, but he and Kyle Pitts Sr. delivered a satisfying win that might end up ruining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season.

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Cousins had 373 yards, 166 of which went to Pitts, and three touchdowns that went to Pitts, and a last-second, 43-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez gave Atlanta a 29-28 win.

The Buccaneers fell to 7-7, a half-game behind the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South. It has been a tough time for Cousins, who was benched last season and lost his job. He got it back due to a season-ending knee injury to Penix. He had been written off at age 37. But for one night at least, the Falcons looked smart for keeping him on the roster.

Kyle Pitts has tremendous first half

Kyle Pitts decided that Thursday night was the right time to have the best half of his NFL career.

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Pitts, who had one touchdown in the Falcons’ previous 13 games, scored twice before halftime. He hadn’t had a 100-yard game all season before Thursday, but had six catches for 111 yards in the first half. Pitts was the first tight end with 100 yards and two touchdowns in a half since San Francisco’s George Kittle did it in Week 13 of 2021, according to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. Hopefully you didn’t face Pitts in the first round of your fantasy football playoff matchup.

Pitts’ enormous half carried the Falcons to a 14-13 halftime lead.

The Buccaneers stayed in the game, and eventually took back the lead in the second half because the Falcons are a mistake-prone team. Atlanta had a ton of penalties. In the third quarter, an illegal contact on Falcons cornerback Dee Alford turned a third-and-goal incompletion from the 13-yard line into a first down, and Baker Mayfield hit tight end Devin Culp for a 6-yard touchdown and a 20-14 lead. Atlanta was the first team with at least 18 penalties in a game since the Browns in 2019, according to the Amazon Prime Video broadcast. Atlanta finished with 19 penalties, yet still walked away with a victory.

Late in the third quarter, Bijan Robinson caught a pass over the middle and fumbled when he was hit. The Bucs recovered and a few plays later Chris Godwin Jr. caught a touchdown. A 2-point conversion to Godwin gave the Buccaneers a 28-14 lead.

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The Falcons kept making mistakes, but so did the Buccaneers.

Buccaneers take the lead

The Buccaneers aren’t exactly playing well enough lately to blow out anyone, even a mistake-prone Falcons team.

Mayfield threw an interception to Alford in the fourth quarter in Falcons territory, shortly after Robinson scored to pull Atlanta to a 28-20 deficit. They went for the 2-point conversion and didn’t get it, which would matter later.

Atlanta avoided another big mistake when Darnell Mooney fumbled at Tampa Bay’s 10-yard line but somehow three Buccaneers couldn’t secure the recovery and the Falcons got it back. Pitts juggled a pass and it looked like his elbow might have hit out of bounds, but officials ruled that his backside landed in bounds first and the Falcons had a touchdown.

But because the Falcons had failed on a 2-point conversion earlier, they had to go for another 2-point conversion and Cousins threw incomplete under pressure.

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The Buccaneers couldn’t put the game away. They had to punt it away. The Falcons got saved on an unusual ruling, when Cousins fumbled but it was ruled that the recovery was simultaneous between the two teams so the offense kept possession. The Falcons kept moving backward, and a holding penalty put them in a second-and-28. On fourth-and-14, Cousins found David Sills for a first-down catch. The Buccaneers not being able to get off the field after Atlanta faced a third-and-28 might cost them a division title.

The Falcons finished the drive and got a field goal as time expired. If the Buccaneers miss the playoffs, they’ll wonder how Cousins knocked them out of a division title.

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons kick off Week 15 on “Thursday Night Football.”

Live coverage is over87 updates

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 5:35 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:39 PM PST

    Kirk Cousins: 30-of-44, 373 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
    Bijan Robinson: 175 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches, 1 TD
    Kyle Pitts: 11 catches, 166 yards, 3 TDs on 12 targets

    Baker Mayfield: 19-for-34, 277 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
    Mike Evans: 6 catches, 132 yards on 12 targets

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM PST

    That’s a mortifying loss for the Bucs, who cede control of the NFC South to the Carolina Panthers. All they had to do was prevent Kirk Cousins from converting on 3rd-and-28, then 4th-and-14.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:35 PM PST

    The Bucs went up 28-14 in the fourth quarter, then allowed two touchdowns and a game-winning field goal to choke away a vital win in the playoff race.

    The Falcons won despite committing 19 penalties, mostly thanks to superlative nights from Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM PST

    It will be a 43-yard field goal attempt for Zane Gonzalez to win this.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM PST

    David Sills V gets it! Kirk Cousins hits him downfield for a 20-yard gain. The Falcons are in field goal range.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM PST

    It’s 4th-and-14 now and the Falcons are going for it with under a minute left.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM PST

    And then the Falcons’ 19th penalty of the night pushes them back to 2nd-and-28.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:29 PM PST

    Wow, Haason Reddick gets the ball loose from Kirk Cousins, but the officials call simultaneous recovery, which gives the ball to the offense. Close call for the Falcons.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:27 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM PST

    The Buccaneers’ next drive goes nowhere and they’re facing 4th-and-14 in their own territory at the 2-minute warning. Against all odds, it looks like the Falcons are going to have a chance to win this.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM PST

    Kyle Pitts: 10 catches, 152 receiving yards, 3 TDs on 11 targets

    Bijan Robinson: 93 rushing yards on 18 carries, 1 rushing TD, plus 8 catches and 82 receiving yards on 11 targets

    They have 327 of the Falcons’ 426 yards tonight, and only three fewer yards than the Bucs have total.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:16 PM PST

    The call stands, which is not a popular decision in Tampa Bay. However, the 2-point attempt fails so the Bucs still lead. There is going to be a lot of second-guessing of Atlanta’s decision to go for 2 on the last TD.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM PST

    Have a night Kyle Pitts. The tight end hauls in his third touchdown of the night, but it’s under review. This could be close.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM PST

    Hoo boy, the Falcons were on the verge of the red zone and got in there on a pass to Darnell Mooney, but Lavonte David rips the ball out. Somehow, the Falcons recover, but that was close.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM PST

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:04 PM PST

    Dee Alford picks it off! Baker Mayfield didn’t see him drifting in and suddenly the Falcons have a chance to tie this.

  • Thu, December 11, 2025 at 8:03 PM PST

    Falcons up to 18 penalties. Five of them are on A.J. Terrell, who’s having a rough night with Mike Evans.