Trey Lance: What worked, what didn’t for 49ers rookie vs. Cardinals

49ers rookie Trey Lance had his ups and downs in his first-ever NFL start, ultimately losing to the Cardinals 17-10. What went well and what didn’t?

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after his team’s 17-10 Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals that Jimmy Garoppolo, not rookie Trey Lance, was still the Niners’ starter moving forward.

Granted, it was Lance who got the start at State Farm Stadium in the wake of Garoppolo’s calf injury suffered the previous week.

And needless to say, there won’t be any shortage of discussion surrounding whether or not Shanahan is telling to truth. Or, if he is, if the head coach is making a mistake by sticking with Garoppolo.

It’s safe to say Lance is still extremely raw, and he showed that in Week 5 trying to match up against quarterback Kyler Murray and the NFL’s No. 1-ranked offense entering this week’s slate of games. At the same time, though, there were flashes where Lance revealed why he was the No. 3 overall pick from this year’s NFL Draft.

If San Francisco wants to transition from Garoppolo to Lance, it might as well start now. Week 5 should provide plenty of experience and learning points for the 21-year-old quarterback.

As far as some coaching would go, Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello would be wise to point out some elements from Sunday’s contest to Lance with the hopes the rookie can translate them into further success.

Let’s take a look at what worked for Lance and what didn’t in Week 5.