Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers preseason 2021: 3 overreactions from 19-16 loss to Chiefs

By Akshaj Dwivedula

Jonas Griffith #53 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks up the pass to Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Jonas Griffith #53 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks up the pass to Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

49ers QB Trey Lance will be a transcendent superstar… or the biggest mistake of 2021 NFL Draft

We start with the feature attraction for the game in rookie quarterback Trey Lance.

In this game, there was proof that Lance will be one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league or that he will be the biggest bust ever drafted.

Obviously, there can be no middle ground.

Up until roughly the two-minute mark of the second quarter, Lance looked like an absolute stud. He fired off passes with precision and accuracy, although his offensive line and drops by receiving targets didn’t help him.

The biggest example was his monster 80-yard touchdown with 49 air yards on the throw:

His accuracy, which had a propensity to go high and away, was on point. It was the quarterback of every 49ers fan’s dream.

And then the two-minute drill happened, and Lance seemed to become a little flustered. He fired in a couple passes that should have been intercepted, the pressure seemed to affect Lance more, and his accuracy significantly decreased. This was the quarterback that validated every critic of him during the draft conversation.

So what’s the truth from this overreaction? Well, like always, it lies in the middle.

Lance didn’t seem to utilize his legs at all this game, which could have been intentional on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s part (he said as much during his postgame presser) or simply part of the game flow. But in any case, the pressure exerted by his mobility will have a greater impact in future games with higher stakes.

When Lance was able to be in a normal game flow, he was much more comfortable. As things got pressurized and compacted, Lance seemed to be hurried as a result. That type of cool and situational awareness comes with practice. As a player has more experience, pressure moments no longer seem different.

What is true is that, despite Lance’s stat line of 5-of-14 with no rushing yards, there was much more good than bad, and the future looks bright, but the full realization of that future might not come the very next game.