For the Atlanta Falcons, James Pearce Jr. has emerged as a beacon of consistency in a season that has largely gone off the rails.
At 4–8 and navigating quarterback changes -- moving from the injured Michael Penix Jr back to Kirk Cousins -- the Falcons need playmakers on defense to create opportunities.
When peeling back the layers of the Week 14 clash, Seattle signal-caller Sam Darnold is most dangerous when allowed to play clean, seven-on-seven football, operating off the run game with Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III.
With targets spread across the formation, Darnold has been able to pick apart defenses when teams fail to generate pressure. Conversely, if the Dirty Birds can disrupt his rhythm and force him off his spot, the Seattle passing attack becomes significantly less potent -- a one-man show on the outside.
James Pearce Jr. is the key to slowing down Sam Darnold and the Seahawks' offense in Week 14
That's where Pearce comes in.
A first-round pick out of Tennessee, thus far, he's justified Atlanta’s decision to trade up and draft him with the 26th overall pick this past spring. He leads the Falcons in pressures with 32 this fall with six sacks and 24 hurries, and more importantly, his production has been trending upward recently.
Over the last two weeks alone, Pearce has nine pressures and three sacks, establishing himself as a growing force along Atlanta’s rebuilt edge. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, he possesses the ideal combination of outstanding length, burst, and athleticism to collapse pockets and create chaos for quarterbacks with consistency.
Against Seattle, Pearce will be tasked with forcing Darnold to make quick decisions, while living inside the pocket. Unlike dual-threat quarterbacks, Darnold isn’t going to beat a defense with his legs; he relies on timing, clean pockets, and even cleaner windows downfield.
That makes Pearce’s role even more critical: consistent pressure can disrupt routes, reduce accuracy, and potentially create turnover opportunities for a Falcons defense that has relied on it's youngest players to make plays on the backend.
For Atlanta, the matchup isn’t just another ballgame -- it’s a litmus test for one of their brightest young stars. Pearce’s ability to collapse the pocket and make Darnold uncomfortable will help in defining the Falcons’ defensive performance.
And if Pearce continues his upward trajectory, the rookie could cement himself as a cornerstone of Atlanta’s defensive rebuild, providing hope in an otherwise tumultuous campaign.