Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was eager to return after sitting out last week against the Buccaneers due to an injury.
Pitts, Atlanta’s top draft pick in the 2021 NFL draft, recorded three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown Sunday in the Falcons’ 28-14 victory against the 49ers, but his impact goes far beyond statistics.
“I think being in Atlanta was the best part about (the touchdown) and obviously scoring, too – it was a great feeling,” Pitts said after the win.
Pitts and rookie receiver Drake London helped open up the run game for the Falcons, who played without injured star Cordarrelle Patterson.
Atlanta, which has been a run-heavy team this season, totaled 168 yards on 40 carries against the 49ers.
“Sometimes, (the 49ers) didn’t know who we were going to (use on each play),” said Falcons running back Caleb Huntley, who gained 59 yards on 16 carries. “Kyle is a good person in the run game, too, and Drake as well. They did their thing receiving the ball, too. So, they didn’t know what we were doing sometimes, and sometimes they did. But the way we play, even if they know what we are doing, we still gotta execute, and we did today.”
Coach Arthur Smith echoed Huntley’s sentiments about Pitts’ value in the Falcons’ run game.
“He’s part of the team. It was good to have him back out there,” Smith said. “All of (those) guys contributed. You can look at the stat page and see some of the things receivers (including Pitts) do in our run game. They made some critical plays when we needed them.”
Pitts said he prefers to score touchdowns instead of piling up yards with no scores, so Sunday was a step in the right direction. Pitts scored on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota in the third quarter.
“(It helps me with) just knowing the field and making me want to grind harder to keep competing,” Pitts said.
The first score of Pitts’ sophomore campaign was a relief, he said.
“It’s always good to compete and, when your number is called, to score,” Pitts said.
Pitts’ return could not have been more timely because the Falcons were going against the NFL’s top defense heading into Sunday’s action. San Francisco was tied for the league lead in points allowed – giving up only 12.2 points per contest – and was also ranked first in yards allowed (249.2).
The Falcons totaled 28 points and generated 289 yards of offense.
“(Our expectation is) to establish the line of scrimmage each week,” Pitts said. “We want to be the more physical team, and for us to show that today is one step in the right direction.”
Pitts missed last week’s game against the Bucs with a hamstring injury. It was the first missed game of his NFL career. When previously asked, Smith did not know when the injury originated.
“It’s great; being at home last week was kind of hard, sitting on the couch and watching the game,” Pitts said of being sidelined against Tampa Bay. “But, I had some time to reflect, and I figured some things out.”
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