James Pearce Jr. has been coming alive in the past few weeks for the [Atlanta Falcons](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi). In Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints, the rookie recorded three consecutive games with at least one sack, including a career high 1.5 sacks.
Pearce was drafted to help a poor Falcons’ pass-rushing unit, one that finished 31st in the league in sacks last year with 31 total. Through 11 games this season, the Falcons have already passed that mark; they currently have 39 sacks, the third most in the NFL.
Atlanta has four straight games with four or more sacks, their longest stretch in franchise history. But when Pearce was asked about it, the rookie wasn’t interested in celebrating numbers without wins to back them up.
“That’s great. Great stats, but the wins matter. So, we just trying to keep stacking up those.” Pearce said. The Falcons are just 1-3 in their last four games despite the high sack numbers.
For Pearce, winning is the ultimate goal, not just more important than team numbers, but also more important than his personal stats as well.
“Yeah, like I said, the stats are great and everything, but we trying to stack up wins and keep winning,” Pearce said when asked about his three straight games with at least one sack. The rookie has a winning above all mentality, a great one to have as he’s set to be a cornerstone in the transformation of this pass rush.
It’s a mentality shared by his first-round draft mate Jalon Walker, who was selected 15th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I don’t just play to participate, I play to win,” Walker told the media after the Falcons’ Week 10 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. “The playoffs are still in sight for me. We still got to keep our foot on the gas.”
On Sunday, the Falcons snapped a five-game skid with their victory over the New Orleans Saints. With six games to go, Atlanta is just two games out from the NFC South crown, meaning a path to the playoffs is still possible, albeit narrow. Pearce and Walker have made it clear: the focus isn’t on stats, streaks or milestones. It’s on winning football games.
The Falcons traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select edge rusher Pearce. with the 26th overall pick. To make the move, Atlanta sent the Los Angeles Rams their 2026 first-rounder, along with a 2025 second-round pick (No. 46) and a 2025 seventh-rounder (No. 242). In return, the Falcons received the No. 26 selection and the Rams’ 2025 third-round pick (No. 101).
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