Kyle Pitts Ruled Out for Sunday's Matchup Against the Buccaneers

The Bucs catch a break, with another one of Atlanta's best offensive weapons slated to miss the first matchup between these two teams this season.

The season may be young, but the Atlanta Falcons have already surprised plenty of people in 2022.

Not only are they tied with the Bucs atop the NFC South, with a 2-2 record entering week 5 of the NFL season, but they'll be looking to win their third consecutive game when they travel to Raymond James Stadium to face the Buccaneers this Sunday at 1:00 pm. 

Not to mention, in the two games the Falcons lost — vs. the Saints and Rams — they were beaten by a combined total of 5 points.

 READ MORE: Super Bowl Winning Wide Receiver Visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers

So no matter what you thought of the Atlanta Falcons coming into this season, I think it's fair to say that the team's rebuild is moving along faster than anticipated. 

That said, it appears as though the focal point of their rebuild, Kyle Pitts, will not be suiting up to face off against the Bucs this week. 

#Falcons TE Kyle Pitts has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Tampa Bay due to his hamstring injury.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022

Pitts is a dynamic talent, which is why the Atlanta Falcons front office, led by GM, Terry Fontenot, were willing to make Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history a year and a half ago, selecting the Florida Gator standout with the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

And even though he wasn't an immediate star as a rookie, he was more than serviceable for the Falcons last season. Despite having a very limited collection of playmakers around him, Pitts was able to exceed 1,000 yards receiving in his first season in the league.

READ MORE: Veteran Buccaneers Wide Receiver Announces Retirement

Optimism was sky-high for Pitts coming into this year, and with only 150 yards receiving over the first quarter of the season, there's no question that he hasn't been as involved in the offense as everyone expected. 

Still, there's no denying that the Atlanta Falcons are a much better team when Kyle Pitts is on the field. And considering they recently had to place Cordarrelle Patterson on the injured reserve, Atlanta's offense is going to be up against it this Sunday. 

Atlanta will be on the road without their two best offensive players while facing a Buccaneers defense that is hungry to prove last week's defeat to the Chiefs was an anomaly.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the other hand, won't have any excuses if they aren't able to secure their first home victory of the season when the short-handed Falcons come to Raymond James Stadium this Sunday. 

For more on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, make sure to follow Collin Haalboom on Twitter, and subscribe to the Bucs Banter YouTube Channel! 

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook