Dallas City News

The Cowboys kicked off their preseason in Los Angeles against the Rams, and while hardly a single projected starter took the field in this one, all eyes were on the quarterback. For the first time since joining the team nearly a year ago, Trey Lance was going to be playing a game with a star on his helmet.

Cooper Rush, the team’s longtime backup, started the game and played the first series. However, it had been expected that Lance would play the remainder of the game, as the Cowboys look to evaluate the former third overall pick.

Much of the debate surrounding the backup quarterback spot has existed in the context of Dak Prescott’s contract status. Last year’s MVP runner up remains unsigned beyond this year, as do Lance and Rush. While all most some signs point to a deal getting done with Prescott, the idea has been floated about Lance taking over for Prescott in 2025 if he looks good in the preseason this year.

Even without that narrative, there is a very real battle between Lance and Rush for the QB2 job this year. Lance has all the upside – teeming with athleticism, a cannon for an arm, high draft pedigree – but Rush has actually done the job and done it well. That said, it’s no secret that Lance is more physically gifted and, in that same vein, can do more of the same things Prescott does if he’s ever called upon in a game.

Well, with one preseason game in the books, we have gotten nowhere closer to answering any of these questions.

If anything, Prescott’s asking price just got bigger. The game unfolded as expected, at least with regards to playing time. Rush started the game and did well, including a 43-yard bomb to Jalen Brooks down the sideline.

He hit on two of his three passes, with the lone incompletion coming on third down and forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. But points went on the board, no glaring mistakes were made, and Rush’s day was done. It was a textbook Cooper Rush performance by just about every measure.

Lance was up next. The best way to describe his performance, which included 41 pass attempts and six carries, is to call it a mixed bag. His athleticism was on display time and again throughout the night, making a few impressive maneuvers in and out of the pocket (which also raises questions about the depth of this offensive line), and he led the team in rushing by a wide margin with 44 yards on the ground.

However, it wasn’t all perfect for Lance, as he showed plenty of inconsistency when it came to throwing the ball. Lance had two throws in particular where he badly overthrew receivers that likely would’ve scored a touchdown had they made the catch. Lance also had some throws that were just poorly located, even if caught, a continuation of one of the areas he was considered to still be developing when Lance came into the league.

As the game went on, Lance also seemed to become overly reliant on his quick feet and mobility instead of focusing on the passing concepts and reading the defense. This became most notable with a bad sack on a fourth down attempt late in the game.

Of course, the biggest takeaway is that Lance played all but one drive in this game and the Cowboys failed to score a single touchdown. The defense came away with four interceptions and two sacks, yet the Cowboys lost the game because the Rams scored a touchdown – the only touchdown in the entire game – in the final seconds.

Surely the Cowboys were hoping for more than that with Lance playing so many snaps in this one. He was far from terrible – in fact, his zero turnovers is a big deal considering his Los Angeles counterpart couldn’t stop turning it over – but Lance also has the sheer potential to be much more than a bus driver. Rush has already proven to be a reliable bus driver, but the team believes Lance can be much more than that.

So far, he has yet to show it. And that means the battle for the backup quarterback job will continue for another week, at least. There are plenty of other opportunities for Lance to set himself apart, but this was his first major test. After an initial passthrough, Lance comes away with a solid C grade, but he’ll need more to surpass Rush.