Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris might have had an amusing reply after last week's shutout of Kyle Pitts. However, what was lost in the reply is the fact Atlanta didn't draft Pitts to block and serve as a decoy. These are far better jobs for a bruising tight-end of yesterday. Yes, you expect Pitts to block and help the team but the reason you have him on the field is to serve as a threat.
Outside of one big catch against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Pitts had been missing in this Atlanta offense. This quickly changed in Atlanta on Thursday night with the tight-end catching a season high seven passes for 88-receiving yards. It was a night to breathe life back into the hope of Pitts' career.
Kyle Pitts remains one of the most frustrating Atlanta Falcons draft picks in recent franchise history
The frustration with Pitts has been the obvious talent and still an inability to use him correctly. It is far easier to accept a bust of a pick or a player who doesn't fit within your scheme. For Pitts, the Falcons saw what the tight-end could accomplish in his rookie season and have had nothing but frustration since.
While this was a breakout game for Pitts there is reason to be skeptical to believe it continues moving forward. While he will play a bigger role than in seasons past it seems obvious who has Kirk Cousins' trust. Darnell Mooney and Drake London have quickly become this team's primary targets with Kyle Pitts slipping to third or fourth on that list.
Cousins isn't going to typically be putting the ball into the air nearly sixty times a game. Pitts' big night should be celebrated but taken with a grain of salt until we see a far larger sample size of him carving a role within this offense.
Regardless of what it will be moving forward, it was a nice respite to put the frustration aside for at least one night and remember what Pitts can do within this offense when used correctly. A great night for Pitts and one that breathes life back into the belief Atlanta could still have a franchise cornerstone at tight end.
