'Big-Time Player!' How Kyle Pitts Sealed Falcons Win in Injury Return

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts announced his return from injury with a game-sealing catch in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers while leading the team in receiving.

With just over five minutes to play in Sunday's season opener against the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith looked down at his play sheet and contemplated.

It's 2nd-and-7, and the Falcons are just past midfield, making progress on a drive that could ultimately put the game away.

Atlanta's passing offense has been struggling. The running game is Smith's bread and butter, and ballcarriers Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are both having good games.

Smith sends the call in. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder takes the snap, turns right, and extends the ball to Robinson ... play action.

Ridder looks downfield and fires a shot to tight end Kyle Pitts, who has just one catch for 10 yards in the moment. Seconds later, he had two receptions for 44 yards.

Pitts sliced between Panthers cornerback C.J. Henderson and reached up, ultimately coming down with a stellar grab through defensive pass interference.

Upon standing up, Pitts stepped into Atlanta's endzone and exclaimed his excitement both physically and vocally. Two plays later, Allgeier ran in his second touchdown of the day, putting the Falcons' 24-10 win on ice - with Pitts' grab proving to be a crucial turning point.

“He needed to make that play," Smith said. "We needed it. It was a big play in the game. It was a seven-point game. Puts you down there, and then Tyler punches it in. At that point on, I felt pretty confident.”

Welcome back, @kylepitts__!

📺: FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/QSHCTmUJUi

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 10, 2023

Both Pitts and Smith knew the catch - the moment - was bigger than just that.

In a sense, it was Pitts announcing that he's back; his torn MCL from last season, the resulting rehab and an irritatingly slow training camp ramp-up didn't take away from the player who still holds the honor of having the second-most receiving yards of all time by a rookie tight end with 1,026 in 2021.

And still, it feels like it goes beyond that.

Consider Pitts' difficult 2022 season in which he caught only 28 of 59 targets for 356 yards and two touchdowns across 10 games, and the image grows clearer - this was a release of months, if not a full year's worth of pent-up frustration.

Smith twice said it was good for Pitts to go get that pass and praised Ridder for "(throwing) a hell of a football." Atlanta's third-year coach and offensive play caller also mentioned that his team won't be playing with fear, hence the decision to dial up a deep shot when most expected another run.

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Perhaps most importantly, Pitts' day could've been significantly better - not for the fault of his own.

The 6-6, 247-pound Pitts hauled in a 26-yard catch in the second quarter, only for it to be called back after an illegal shift on receiver Drake London.

There's also a now-viral video of Pitts making Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn fall in coverage on an out route, though the pass was never thrown as Ridder was sacked.

Kyle Pitts (slot) breaks Jeremy Chinn’s ankles, gets WAO (wide ass open), and let’s him know it.

Brian Burns got a quick strip sack on this play. pic.twitter.com/iW7GZHSfTD

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 11, 2023

It's reps like these two that led to Pitts' frustration throughout much of last season, when his rate of uncatchable targets from quarterback Marcus Mariota led the NFL for most of the year.

But not to be lost in those reps is that Pitts is still highly talented and highly skilled; he's also an ascending blocker and an interchangeable chess piece in terms of his alignment.

And yet, the numbers didn't reflect just how important Pitts is to Atlanta's offense ... until he made the diving, game-sealing catch against Carolina.

“Kyle made a good play," Smith said. "That’s what you wanted to see. It was kind of cathartic for Kyle. He had run some good routes earlier in the game. A play here or there, we were damn near trying to force the ball to him a few times and finally got it.”

Even with the implications of what could've been, Pitts' 44 receiving yards led the Falcons on an inept overall passing display that Smith said needs to be improved.

But Atlanta's glad to be working while having a double-digit win in its back pocket, and even more encouraged by Pitts' statement in his first regular season game back from injury.

It's this fact that made the big reception by Pitts so significant in Smith's eyes; the main hurdle to clear when returning from injury is mental, Smith believes, and being able to haul in such a pass in that moment can help break barriers.

The play reminded Smith of some of the game-changing plays Pitts made in his rookie season, singling out grabs against the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.

And now, Pitts has added a new volume to his chapter on clutch catches ... all the while taking another important step towards being fully back.

“He’s a big-time player," Smith said. "Those are plays that he made his rookie year that won us games. ... You have to get back out there. It was good to see.”

Pitts' value on winning was often noted by Smith throughout last year, but some wanted visual evidence. It took less than a full game to see that impact this season.

Doubts are officially of Pitts' mind. He's healthy, he's playing ... and he's all the way back.

Just watch his reaction and consider all he's been through in the last 12 months, and it's clear - Pitts has returned, and he could be in line for a boisterous bounce-back campaign filled with several more game-winning plays.