Dallas City News

Trey Lance shows promise – Bryan DeArdo, CBSSports

With Lance, it’s important to evaluate him not as a former No. 3 overall pick but simply as a young quarterback who is still finding his way in the NFL. When looking at Lance’s Sunday under that lens, there was plenty to like.

After a slow start (he went 8 of 17 in the first half), Lance found somewhat of a rhythm as the game progressed. He completed 17 of his 24 attempts in the second half while directing two scoring drives and two other drives that could have led to points. Lance was also the Cowboys’ leading rusher with 44 yards on six carries.

Yes, Lance had some passes that were either off the mark, like his incompletion to Jalen Moreno-Cropper on 4th-and-goal at the end of the first quarter. But for the most part, it was a positive step for Lance, who is still in the midst of his first full season with the Cowboys.

Trey Lance delivers uneven performance. Bobby Kownack, NFL.com

This was the 24-year-old’s first preseason opportunity since the 49ers shipped him to Dallas last year. The results were mixed, and ultimately trended toward poor. Lance had all but the team’s first drive to work with, finishing 25 of 41 for 188 yards and no team touchdowns. He did make some impressive throws and riddled a few defenders on scrambles (six carries for 44 yards) to move the sticks.

However, Lance too often missed passes badly, perhaps setting the tone for his day with a fourth-down fade placed well out of bounds to waste his first drive. He was antsy in the pocket throughout and rarely on time. It’s not ideal that he looked infinitely more dangerous running than he ever did throwing, nor is it that Cooper Rush showed more promise as QB2 in a rather short outing.

Cowboys QB Lance debuts, shows ‘good progress’ – Todd Archer, ESPN

Six of the eight drives Lance directed went for at least eight plays, but he could not get the Cowboys in the end zone. Instead, they had to settle for three of Brandon Aubrey’s four field goals.

“Trying to get as much as I can with him,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “You want to see him running the offense at a high level. The footwork and some of the things we’re asking him to do conceptually are new. We just need work. We just need as much time as we can. I know I say that every time I talk about him, but he’s making good progress. He’s definitely wired the right way. He’s a great athlete. Just a lot of work to do.”

Lance wasn’t far away from at least two touchdown throws, and he missed a golden chance for another in the fourth quarter with tight end Princeton Fant running uncovered.

Lance was victimized by four drops, but he was also high on several throws that did not give his pass catchers much of a chance after the reception.

Still, McCarthy liked enough of what Lance did.

“I really liked his command,” McCarthy said. “Frankly, I tried to … take advantage of every situation that we were in, so those fourth-down snaps, those will pay dividends in the future. I do believe that.”

Mike McCarthy on Trey Lance: He’s making good progress, still has work to do – Michael David Smith, PFT

“I know I say that every time I talk about him,” McCarthy said, via ESPN, “but he’s making good progress. He’s definitely wired the right way. He’s a great athlete. Just a lot of work to do.”

Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions and three sacks. Those aren’t world-beating numbers, but McCarthy said Lance did what was asked of him.

“I really liked his command,” McCarthy said. “Frankly, I tried to . . . take advantage of every situation that we were in, so those fourth-down snaps, those will pay dividends in the future. I do believe that.”

Rush remains ahead of Lance on the Cowboys’ depth chart, which means there’s a good chance Lance will sit on the bench the entire season, just as he did last season. Which means if he’s ever going to develop, the preseason is his time.

Cowboys QB Trey Lance ‘making good progress,’ but inconsistent in preseason opener – Jon Machota, The Athletic

McCarthy said he liked how Lance handled the play calls and commanded the huddle.

Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton said Lance was “efficient” in the huddle.

“I think he’s a confident player,” Guyton added. “He knows what he wants to do. He’s quick and responsive. I like how he calls plays.”

Lance’s athleticism is obvious. When he couldn’t initially find an open receiver, he used his legs on multiple occasions to either buy time for something to open up or pick up yards with his feet.

The plan isn’t expected to change much at quarterback for the Cowboys’ next two preseason games. Dak Prescott is unlikely to play. Rush probably won’t get too much more work than he did Sunday. So that leaves Lance to get the majority of the snaps in both games. It’ll be interesting to see how he builds on his first preseason snaps since he was with the San Francisco 49ers last August. He should be able to take more from Sunday’s reps than anything he experienced in practices with the Cowboys last season or the work he has received more recently in OTAs, minicamp and training camp when players aren’t hitting the quarterback.

NFL Preseason Week 1 Recap: Los Angeles Rams 13, Dallas Cowboys 12 – Staff, PFF

While Lance appeared to get more comfortable as the game wore on, he didn’t do enough to threaten Cooper Rush‘s job Sunday. Lance did show off his impressive arm strength with quality zip on his passes, but he was often a tick late and inaccurate on his throws. He finished 25-of-41 for 188 yards. On the positive side, Lance did show the ability to create offense with his legs, gaining 44 yards from six carries.

Cowboys’ Trey Lance: Mixed bag in preseason debut – Rotowire Staff, CBSSports

The 24-year-old quarterback flashed the physical ability that made him the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, escaping pressure with his legs and showing off his arm strength, and his numbers were impacted by some drops by the second-team receiving options he was working with.

Lance also had some accuracy issues of his own, though, and he failed to get the ball into the end zone despite multiple trips inside the 20, forcing the Cowboys to settle for four Brandon Aubrey field goals.

This performance likely wasn’t enough to push the former 49er ahead of Rush in the battle to be the primary backup to Dak Prescott, but Lance will likely get another chance in Saturday’s preseason clash with the Raiders.

How did Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance perform against the Los Angeles Rams? – Lawrence Dow, Star-Telegram

NFL Network analyst and former NFL star Steve Smith was critical of Lance’s first-half performance. “Made some good decisions and then hot potato, he’s never really getting settled in. Three-step drop, he’s only going a step and a half. Not really settling in,” said Smith, “When he has the wide receiver open, he’s overthrowing the guy. So look, this is his rookie season on the field, right? I don’t care how long he’s been in the league. He hasn’t played in the league consistently yet, and it’s showing.”

Former 49ers QB Trey Lance shows more of the same in Cowboys preseason opener – Marc Delucci, NinersNation

While some Cowboys fans are hopeful that Lance is primed for a breakout after his first season/offseason in Dallas, his first in-game action of the season looked a lot like the flawed signalcaller that fell out of favor with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Lance seemed hesitant and uncomfortable in the pocket at times, with several noticeably inaccurate throws.

The athleticism and arm strength that led Lance to be the third overall pick back in 2020 did show up on a few plays. Ultimately, though, it looked a lot like Lance in a 49ers uniform. There were a few plays where Lance’s tantalizing potential was obvious, but it was overshadowed by inconsistencies.

In Lance’s defense, he didn’t have the best of help. On one third down before the half, he had to scramble since nobody was open. On the second to last drive of the game, Lance made two passes in a row that hit the receivers’ hands, but they were dropped by the same wideout instead of the chains moving for a first down.

Still, he took a couple of unnecessary sacks, dropped his eyes when his first read wasn’t opened, and looked unsure of himself in the process.

Lance looked good on the move, either running or scrambling to buy time to make a throw. But it’s clear he needs to improve from the pocket to be an NFL starter. He didn’t make much happen in the normal flow of the Cowboys’ offense, and that along with injuries was a reason the 49ers soured on him as well.

Lance got warmer as the game went on, helping his final stat line, but it’s worth noting the Rams were deep onto their bench by then. In fairness, so were the Cowboys. He wasn’t playing with receivers who could help him much, as the drops kept coming in the fourth quarter.

Lance will have a couple more opportunities, and then it seems unlikely we’ll see him in the regular season unless things go terribly wrong for the Cowboys. He needs to make the most out of those remaining preseason chances.