Stats are for losers: Kyle Pitts has best game of year, just like Raheem Morris said

The Kyle Pitts haters of the world need to devour a fat slice of humble pie after how Thursday Night Football transpired. After not recording one reception in the Atlanta Falcons' Week 4 home victory over the New Orleans Saints, Pitts was criticized by the fantasy football gurus of the world. His head coach Raheem Morris went to bat for his guy by citing that "stats are for losers." He is not wrong, y'all.

Fate would have it, Pitts would have his best game of the season on a short week with seven catches on eight targets for 88 yards. Those were all season-best marks for the former Florida standout tight end and No. 4 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft. To be fair, Kirk Cousins spread the ball magnificently to seven different receivers in Atlanta's thrilling 36-30 overtime Thursday victory against the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What this shows is Morris believes in his tight end, and his teammates believe in him, too. It is a long season, so you have to ride out the good with the bad, just like you need to with the awesome and the ugly. In football, you win as a team and you lose as a team. In fantasy football, empty calorie nonsense in extreme garbage time is what can make or break your season. They are two totally different sports.

It wouldn't say Morris and Cousins made it a point to get Pitts the ball, but the message was received!

Atlanta Falcons have fantasy football folks eating crow over Kyle Pitts

Through five games this season, Pitts has 15 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown. They are not jaw-dropping numbers, but they are something you can win with as the part of a much bigger operation, one known as the team. Atlanta has Pitts under contract for this year and next after having been extended his fifth-year option this past offseason. Clearly, he is part of this team's future plans.

And to me, that is the beautiful part of football. Narratives get written up every week, yet none of the teams even remotely care about them. It is all about one thing: Just winning on Sunday, or Thursday this week in the case of the Falcons. I am sure the Buccaneers defense thought Pitts played a great game, too. Pitts was one of three Falcons receivers to have over 80 yards on the night.

One last thing before I bounce. One of the things that I liked the most about this game from Cousins is he went to each of his seven receivers who had catches multiple times. Everyone of them had multiple receptions, including KhaDarel Hodge who got his second with the 45-yard game-winner in overtime. The defense has largely carried this team, but it was the offense that picked up the pieces.

The ball can only go to one player on a given down, so let's not bury Pitts just yet after this past week.