close
close

topicnews · August 26, 2024

Trey Lance’s rough preseason game reflects frustrating NFL journey – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Trey Lance’s rough preseason game reflects frustrating NFL journey – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Trey Lance continues to prove that the 49ers are simultaneously right and inexcusably wrong.

San Francisco made the right move by trading the young quarterback to the Dallas Cowboys before the 2023 NFL season in exchange for a now-generous fourth-round pick, but selecting him with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft in the first place was a colossal mistake that would result in someone being released nine times out of ten.

Fortunately for the 49ers, a year later they managed to make a potentially historic seventh-round deal with Brock Purdy.

The 49ers’ mistake had been out of sight for about a year, ever since Lance traded one backup opportunity for another in Dallas, but it reared its ugly head again on Saturday.

Lance played every offensive snap in Dallas’ 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday at AT&T Stadium and showed glimpses of the exciting dual-threat ability the 49ers originally saw in him, but he threw not one, not two, not three, not four, but five Interceptions in the game.

You can watch all five interceptions here. If you absolutely must…

Lance also had two fumbles in that game, but the Cowboys recovered them both times, preventing a potential seven-turnover day. Yuck.

The fourth-year quarterback completed 33 of 49 pass attempts (67 percent) for 323 passing yards and a touchdown through the air, as well as 11 rushing attempts for 90 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Without the five interceptions, 413 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns would be an excellent day’s work.

Lance’s rushing touchdown was also a feast for the eyes.

Perhaps this stat sums up Lance’s mixed performance in the preseason:

While it’s not entirely surprising that an inexperienced FCS quarterback prospect with four total NFL starts had such a game, even in the preseason, Lance is in an impossible situation because he still needs a wealth of professional-level reps that simply aren’t available to him right now. And the reps he’s getting put him under a microscope that’s counterproductive to any young player’s development.

That’s not to say Lance couldn’t have been a talented NFL quarterback, but his unfortunate ability to be considered only a backup – perhaps at best – has as much to do with his draft date, the circumstances under which he came in, and the devastating season-ending ankle injury he suffered as San Francisco’s starter in 2022 as it does with his actual ability on the field.

Lance finished the 2024 preseason completing 73 of 113 pass attempts (64 percent) for 662 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, five interceptions, and 24 carries for 168 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Even for him, his five-pick day was an outlier. One that he unfortunately can no longer afford if he wants to stay in the league.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

You may also like...