The Atlanta Falcons are fresh off the most pathetic loss of the season and one of their worst in franchise history in Week 8. The 16-0 loss to the Buccaneers saw them give up over 324 rushing yards and almost six yards per carry as the Bucs won despite failing to record a single completion.
The last time a team won without completing a pass was in 1974. This is the first time we've seen any team lose a game like this since Watergate. When you put it like that, there is little to be excited about in regards to this team currently, but thanks to James Pearce Jr., the Falcons have good news coming.
It's almost comical how sad things are in Atlanta right now, but the conclusion of Week 8 does come with a silver lining. Second-year pass-rusher James Pearce Jr. is now eligible to return from his eight-game suspension and is likely to play on Sunday morning against the Bengals in Madrid.
Kevin Stefanski told reporters late last week that the plan is to add him back to the 53-man roster before Week 9 now that his window to return from suspension is officially open. And while Pearce has been back in the building since the start of October, the goal now is to get him back up to speed in practice now that his suspension has been lifted and he's back on the active roster.
James Pearce Jr.'s return is giving the Atlanta Falcons something to be excited about after a horrible loss
Without Pearce and Jalon Walker, the Falcons' pass-rush has used duct tape to hold together a major hole. Cameron Thomas, Samson Ebukam (who suffered a hamstring injury and will not play in Week 9), and Za'Darius Smith have led the EDGE room, but the bulk of the pass-rushing production has come from Brandon Dorlus and Gervon Dexter on the interior.
So yes, this is a major get for this defense. The defensive line has produced despite a clear lack of star power, but they just got manhandled by the Bucs' run game on Sunday. And with the trade deadline looming, this is the equivalent of Atlanta making a big trade--at least in terms of impact.
The 2025 first-round pick is an absolute game-wrecker when he's on the field. He amassed 10.5 sacks as a rookie and was the first Falcons' pass-rusher to record 10+ sacks since Vic Beasley a decade earlier, so there's no telling how much his return is going to make life easier on the whole DL
But with that in mind, the Dirty Birds won't have him playing his usual snap share from the jump. It'll take time to get him there as he wasn't able to be in the facility for the first four weeks and has been unable to practice in full until now, but even in a limited role we know he can get to the quarterback.
The Falcons are still near the top of the NFL in both pressures and pressure rate without the 23-year-old, so there's no telling how the unit will improve once Pearce is gelling with the other guys and is back up to full speed--especially since offenses would rather key in on him than anybody else.
While it's easy to be bogged down by one of the worst Falcons' losses in franchise history, at least James Pearce Jr.'s return will make it a little easier to stomach.
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