Falcons’ rookie defenders Pearce, Walker helping pass rush on record pace
FLOWERY BRANCH — After the horn sounded, Falcons rookie outside linebacker James Pearce Jr. made his way over to the stands and hugged his mother in New Orleans.
“That was my Momma,” Pearce said postgame and started to smile. “She means everything to me, means the world to me. She got me this far. She’s always got my back.”
He’s just trying to make Shelley Pearce proud.
Pearce and fellow rookie Jalon Walker, who each were selected in the first round of the NFL draft this year, have come along nicely as the season has progressed. They will play a key role when the Falcons (4-7) face the New York Jets (2-9) at 1 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Pearce has four sacks and Walker has five as the Falcons have improved their pass rush. The Falcons have 39 sacks on the season, which ranks third in the NFL. Only the Broncos (49) and Browns (42) have more.
The Falcons are on pace for 60 sacks, which would break the franchise record of 55 set in 1997.
Walker was selected with the 15th overall pick, the first Georgia player ever drafted by the Falcons in the first or second round. The Falcons traded back into the first round with the Rams to select Pearce with the 26th overall pick.
Pearce has had at least a sack in each of the past three games.
“That’s a great stat, but the wins are what matter,” Pearce said. “We are just trying to keep stacking up those wins.”
Pearce has played 366 defensive snaps (51%).
“Making an impact on wins is always great,” Pearce said. “Just keep going. Keep building off of it. Just be able to become the player I want to be. Just keep taking my game to the next level.”
It has been a bumpy first year as the Falcons have battled through a five-game losing streak.
“(Coach Raheem Morris) always gives us his all,” Pearce said. “So, it’s like (it) was nothing to give it back to him. Play for him. Play for that guy, the way that he keeps us going, the way he keeps the team going. Our heads are never down. We just have to keep stacking the wins.”
Morris has been pleased with the play of Pearce and Walker.
“I kind of just compare them to what we thought we could get from them,” Morris said. “When we got them, we immediately talked about those guys being able to be an immediate edge presence for us and being able to go out there and be contributors from Day One.”
The Falcons didn’t want to put too much pressure on the rookies. Life in the NFL trenches can be tough.
“We kind of talked about this early on,” Morris said. “I think the sack leader last year from a rookie standpoint was Jared Verse with four (actually 4.5). So, it’s like sometimes you put unrealistic expectations on some of these young guys coming into the league because of what Jevon Kearse did his rookie year.”
Kearse had 14.5 sacks as a rookie in 1999. That turned out to be his career high.
“It’s hard to get to the quarterback,” Morris said. “It’s hard to rush the quarterback. It’s a process. But, I think they have really done a nice job of really filling in those roles and really getting better and better every single week.”
Walker had to overcome a groin injury early on.
“We were worried about the setback,” Morris said. “It definitely hasn’t done that. It’s allowed him to get better and better.”
Walker had a big sack strip Nov. 2 against New England.
While Walker had to overcome an injury, Pearce’s play has been steady throughout.
“It’s hard to say to see him make a leap because the pressures were already there,” Morris said. “The intent was the right way. He’s actually gotten to the sacks now. In the Minnesota game, I mean, I think he could have had three sacks. I think he fell off two (potential sacks), so it’s hard to say he’s just starting to get it because it’s kind of been going.”
Pearce has learned more about the defensive calls and when he can take some risks.
“When the control rush has to go down, when it has to be power,” Morris said. “How do you rush in the red zone. How do you rush out in open grass. Limiting the mistakes on some of the pressures that we have.”
Pearce has other responsibilities within the defensive plan.
“I watched him drop in coverage (against the Saints) and make a couple plays,” Morris said. “He’s definitely gotten better. He’s definitely got a better grasp every single week, and it’s due to his process. His process has gotten better in practice. His process has gotten better in the meeting rooms.”
The Falcons have been pleased with Walker, who has played 319 defensive snaps and 30 special-teams snaps.
“He’s a ballplayer, man,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “What you see is the ballplayer part. You see the run defense. You see a guy that, he just gets to the ball. He might do it a little unique way and different way, but he’s going to be productive.”
Walker has played in nine games and made five starts. He has 30 tackles.
“He’s going to find a way to affect the ballgame in a major way,” Ulbrich said. “He’s a guy that’s starting to learn how to rush from the edge, which is really cool to see because, as we all know, that’s just time on task.”
The Falcons believe Walker will be a future leader of the defense.
“What you don’t see is the leader that he is, the voice that he has, the command of the group that he has,” Ulbrich said. “It’s just as unique as I’ve ever been around for a rookie. He feels like a — I’m not exaggerating at all — he feels like a 10-year vet. The way that he commands the group, the way he speaks, the confidence that he has, the aura that he carries. It will not take him very long to be a captain here.”
The play of the rookies has been one of bright spots of the season.
“James clearly has been able to go out there every single week and get better and better every week,” Morris said. “I’m really proud of both of them.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
