49ers vs. Packers: 5 bold predictions for Sunday Night Football

No. 4: 49ers give Trey Lance at least 10 snaps

In Week 1, head coach Kyle Shanahan let rookie quarterback Trey Lance take four offensive snaps, three of which were either designed run plays or RPO hand-offs.

The one pass attempt, though, went for a touchdown. So, at least Lance’s touchdown percentage on passing plays for his NFL career is a perfect 100 percent. Not bad, right?

Yet Lance didn’t see the field at all in Week 2 against the Eagles, and Shanahan later explained why the context of that game didn’t afford the opportunity to put the No. 3 overall pick into the game.

Expect that to change against Green Bay.

For much of the game versus the Eagles, the 49ers offense was anything but inspiring and struggled to get much going on the ground or through the air. What Shanahan needed was a spark, and it’s a bit surprising he didn’t turn to Lance for a handful of snaps to at least shake things up a bit.

Luckily, a relatively suspect Packers defense could present the perfect opportunity for Lance to demonstrate his skill set in front of a national audience, threatening the defense with his strong arm while exposing potential weaknesses against his elusive rushing abilities.

Look for Shanahan to give Lance a youthful career-high 10-plus snaps in Week 3 to make things a lot more interesting.