49ers vs. Cardinals: 3 things Trey Lance must do in first NFL start

No. 1: 49ers can actually ‘run’ Trey Lance

Yes, Trey Lance should actually use his athleticism. A lot.

While Arizona’s offense is prolific so far, and Kyler Murray is playing at an MVP level, the easiest way to prevent damage to San Francisco’s defense is to not let that group on the field. At least too much.

The 49ers offense will have to extend drives by any means possible, and a low-scoring game certainly plays into their favor.

Trey Lance, for all his inexperience passing, is still a massive rushing threat, evidenced by him already scoring one touchdown on the ground, having 44 rush yards total despite being on the field for just 17 percent of offensive snaps and by him picking up three first downs with his legs.

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If there’s one glaring vulnerability the Cardinals have, it’s defending the run.

Over the last four weeks, Arizona is surrendering an average of 5.4 yards per carry, which is next to the worst in the NFL. While the 49ers would be wise to utilize plenty of run-pass options with Lance as the delivery method, even giving Lance some designed runs or letting him scramble when he can’t identify his options would be a wise move.

It might be the best way to move the chains and, essentially, the best way to offset the Cardinals offense.