Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Giving Coach Dave Ragone Newfound Comfort
Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone believes he has a new tight end in third-year veteran Kyle Pitts.
Pitts dealt with injury issues early in his professional career, but now that he is healthy, he has made a big impact for Atlanta in 2023. Part of that growth is not just being healthy, but being more comfortable in the offense and NFL life as a whole.
"What you see from Kyle, he’s a year older," Ragone said. "He’s experienced different things. He understands different things now than he did in ’21. You’re seeing the adaptability in not just him but other guys. And you’re seeing the comfort level of the quarterback having an understanding of body language and when a guy’s open and how he sees him and how he feels on that route."
Oct 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) runs after a catch against the Washington Commanders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Pitts is explosive in the open field and does not always fit the "typical" idea of a tight end. While that is his position on the depth chart, he can be used in a variety of ways, and that's a good problem to have for Ragone and the Falcons offense.
"Kyle may line up in a three-point stance, or he may line up in a two-point," Ragone said. "But the labels of those things within what we try to do – yes, just so guys know what they are, we give them certain position values: they’re the ‘H’ or the ‘X.’ For us, that’s not as much of important as how do we get guys in positions to be successful?”
So far this season, Pitts has hauled in 25 receptions for 298 yards and a score, good for an average of 11.9 yards per catch. He and the Falcons will look to pick up back-to-back wins this week when they travel to face the Tennessee Titans, and that game can be seen on CBS at 1 p.m. ET.
