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The Atlanta Falcons were able to get back in the win column during Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints, as it had been some weeks since they got a victory. The Falcons were able to make things happen on offense with Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback, but it was the defense that stepped up once again.
They sacked Tyler Shough five times and also got an interception off of him to win the game. James Pearce Jr. was disruptive in the win, and he finished with 1.5 sacks. The rookie has played well this season in general, and the Falcons invested a lot in him after trading their first-round pick for next year to get back into this year’s first round and double up on pass rushers.
Unfortunately, the Falcons have not played well this season, and many are thinking about the first-round pick that they traded. For head coach Raheem Morris, he doesn’t seem to regret the trade, and he spoke about the rookie and what he’s been able to do for them this season.
“We love James Pearce. He’s done a great job of providing us a lot of relief with some of our pass rush this year,” Morris said via Falcons reporter Terrin Waack.
Depending on where the Falcons finish at the end of the season, their pick could possibly be top-5 or top-10. In hindsight, when the Falcons traded the pick, it seemed like a very good idea, but they also thought they would be competitive this season. The opposite has happened, and now they have to live without a top pick.
Nonetheless, the way that Pearce has been playing, they may not even look at trading the pick as a bad thing. It’s helped the pass rush, and the Falcons are third in the league with 36 sacks. That’s a big jump from last year, when they finished second-to-last with 31 sacks.
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