Trey Lance overcomes rough start in second preseason game

Rookie quarterback Trey Lance overcame an early interception to put together a solid performance in his second preseason game for the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played the first drive of the game and completed three passes for 15 yards until an interception off his receiver’s hands ended his day. Lance stepped in and played the last four drives of the first half and the first two drives of the second half.

Trey Lance got off to a rough start

Lance struggled early on, only completing one pass through his first three drives. After the rocky start, Lance seemed to settle in and finished the game with eight completions for 84 yards and two touchdowns, and one interception.

Lance’s interception came on a high pass that was off the top of receiver Mohamed Sanu’s hands and picked off by Chargers cornerback Tevaughn Campbell. Although the interception wasn’t entirely on Lance, it could’ve been prevented with a better throw.

Lance was able to bounce back and lead the 49ers on a 75-yard touchdown drive to cap off the first half. Lance was able to connect with Trent Sheffield for a 50-yard gain and finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown to Mohamed Sanu.

In his final drive of the game, Lance led the 49ers’ offense on an 11-play, 63-yard drive, highlighted by a 16-yard touchdown pass to speedster Travis Benjamin. It was an up and down performance, but Lance responded to the early adversity well and finished strong.

Trey Lance has been able to show flashes of his potential in the preseason

It’s important to remember that Lance isn’t the most polished rookie quarterback. He only played one year of FCS football and will likely need more time to adjust to the NFL than guys like Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. The appeal of Lance isn’t what he brings to the table on day one; it’s the long-term upside he can offer with his elite arm strength and athleticism.

Throughout the draft process, Trey Lance drew many comparisons to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, another quarterback who had elite physical tools but wasn’t the most pro-ready player coming out of college. Allen was a work in progress during his first two seasons in the league, before exploding for 45 total touchdowns in 2020.

Although Josh Allen is a lofty comparison for a rookie, he serves as a reminder that developing into a franchise quarterback can take time. It’s important to remember Lance is still only 21 years old. He has all of the physical tools, but it won’t be an overnight transformation.  Lance has shown glimpses of the quarterback he can be, and with time, he can become more consistent.