PHILADELPHIA – Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was victorious in his return to his native Philadelphia after his team rallied for a 22-21 win over the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
“It was good, man,” Pitts told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game. “Came out of here with the win. It was my first time playing here and I’m 1-0 here, so that’s pretty cool.”
Pitts, 23, said he had “a lot” of family and friends in the stands. It was a major win for the Falcons, who overcame a six-point deficit with under two minutes remaining to avoid an 0-2 start. But Pitts, the highest-drafted tight end of all-time, was once again an afterthought with three catches for 20 yards. One of the receptions went for 11 yards on the game-winning drive.
Over his first two seasons, Pitts’ involvement has been a recurring storyline as outsiders opine the player’s unique talent has been underutilized. Pitts has 2,075 yards and seven touchdowns on 152 catches (45 games) in his career. Since getting 1,026 receiving yards in his rookie season (17 games), he had 1,023 yards over his next 27 contests entering this season.
New coaching staff, new quarterback, but through two games, it’s the same talking point. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and the entire offense looked far more functional in Week 2 than in the season debut, yet Pitts wasn’t part of it.
The Falcons have targeted Pitts seven times in two games. He has six catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Not every tight end is going to be targeted like the Raiders’ Brock Bowers (15 catches on 17 targets) or the Ravens’ Isaiah Likely (11 catches on 15 targets), but it’s nonetheless disappointing that Pitts remains a role player rather than a featured one.
“Just trying to contribute wherever I can,” Pitts said when the AJC asked him how he feels about his current role. In a follow-up, the AJC asked Pitts to clarify he wasn’t frustrated. He responded, “yeah.”
It’s early, so there’s plenty of time for the offense to develop a rhythm and find ways to better involve Pitts. There’s a reason so many are perplexed by his usage; his exceptionally rare size-and-speed combination should keep opposing defensive coordinators stressed. As the Falcons’ offense evolves, so might Pitts’ role. Certainly, Cousins should provide more consistent opportunities for him than his past quarterbacks.
Pitts, who’s a free agent after next season since the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option, is going to be among the more fascinating individual Falcons to follow throughout 2024 - again.
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