Just over a month ago, the Atlanta Falcons sat at 3-2. They were fresh off a triumphant and fairly dominant primetime win against the mighty Buffalo Bills. It is amazing to think that now the Falcons are closer to having the No. 1 overall pick than they are to having a spot in the playoffs.
Although far from being mathematically eliminated, Atlanta has completely collapsed in recent weeks. Yes, they've lost a handful of close games to some of the NFL's best teams, but on this five-game losing streak, the Falcons are simply finding ways to lose and give games away.
To make matters worse, Atlanta doesn't own its first-round pick in this year's draft, as it sent it to the Los Angeles Rams last April. That means that the Falcons, barring a turnaround, could be sending as high as a top-5 pick to their NFC West foe in just a few short months.
Falcons' rookie pass-rush duo is silver lining in disastrous campaign
In the midst of this collapse, however, the Falcons' rookie pass-rush duo of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. is quietly thriving. Considering Atlanta gave up its first-rounder next year for Pearce, his coming on strong lately lessens the sting of losing a future Day 1 pick.
It truly has been a tale of two seasons for Raheem Morris' team, as the Falcons were having success at the beginning of the year, but their two premier draft picks weren't immediately delivering. Now, with the team down in the dumps, this young tandem is one of the only silver linings.
After recording just 1.0 sack in the team's first five games, Walker has recorded 3.0 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defended in his last three games played. He's been a handful against a series of strong offensive lines, which is incredibly promising.
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Walker has earned an increased role lately, and he is showing his repertoire of talents in pass coverage and against the run as well, with 9 run stops in the last three contests, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pearce, too, struggled out of the gates. Although he was getting pressure, he recorded just 0.5 sacks in the first eight games. He's broken out lately, however, with 2.0 sacks in the last two contests, tallying four quarterback hits and showing increased aptitude in limited coverage snaps as well.
If these two become the pairing that Falcons fans thought they would be upon drafting them, then that is incredibly promising for the future. Atlanta may miss out on a marquee player next April, but it seems like they got two last year.