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.

What didn’t work for Trey Lance, 49ers

Good news can wait. Bad news can’t. Let’s start with the latter.

Trey Lance’s final line is pretty indicative of his total effort: 15-of-29 for 192 yards, zero touchdowns against an interception and a passer rating of 58.4.

There were multiple moments when Lance could have hit a hot-read target, particularly when pressured en route to two sacks and seven quarterback hits. And even though he can’t always rely on his legs to bail him out, Lance could have done two different things on his interception on the 49ers’ opening drive, which resulted in an interception by Cardinals safety Budda Baker:

Lance had at least 15 yards of open real estate in front of him. And while targeting wide receiver Travis Benjamin was the right read, the sailed throw is something that’ll haunt him in this situation.

More finesse, less zip. That was a storyline during the preseason for Lance, too.

That was only one play, however, and there was another near-score for Lance and the Niners where a small mistake turned into a goal-line stop instead of six points:

You can debate whether or not Lance got a part of the ball over the goal line. The officials didn’t think so, and no challenge was issued. But, unlike a try on a 3rd- or 4th-and-short in the middle of the field, all Lance needed to do was either go high with the ball. Or, what former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees used to do so well, hold the ball over the goal line before bringing it back.

That would have counted for a touchdown.

So would have hitting fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who released and was wide open on the play.

Overall, the general consensus on Lance’s negative efforts are probably going to be consistent with the theme surrounding him dating back to the preseason: He’s raw, and the game still moves too fast for him.

That said, second-team and scout-team reps during practices aren’t going to help speed those things up much either. He needs to play more to work out these kinks.

What worked for Trey Lance, 49ers

For those panicking about Trey Lance, stop.

Yes, he’s raw. Yes, he made rookie-like mistakes. But if that’s the floor for Lance-type play, there’s a lot to be excited about.

Lance will eventually have to learn to take what the defense gives him. Yet it’s already clear he can extend plays with his legs way better than any quarterback Kyle Shanahan has had on the roster. And while it wasn’t pointed out very much during the game, if you go back and watch, Lance doesn’t hesitate to step up in the pocket when reacting to pressure.

Considering San Francisco’s offensive line didn’t do many favors for Lance, this is surely a good thing.

On this 3rd-and-3 play in the second quarter, Lance showed he has some accuracy on a tight-window throw to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk:

Lance, who has yet to develop nearly enough chemistry with his receiving targets, should only get better when he begins to understand what’ll happen on routes. And while there might need to be some more finesse on the rookie’s passes, the first-year accuracy and ball placement is there in the context of how little experience he’s had.

There is, of course, the rushing ability, too, and we’d be remiss to avoid that altogether.

Related Story: 3 things Trey Lance must do in first NFL start

Lance rushed 16 times for 89 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, although the Cardinals entered the game with the next-to-worst run defense, allowing 5.4 yards per carry. Still, it was notably apparent Lance could pick up those chunk yards on the ground when the opportunities were there.

For now, at least, that’ll continue to be Lance’s No. 1 weapon and strength. And while he’ll want to eventually transition into being a true passer and not rely too heavily on his legs, at least this is a facet to his game that’ll positively impact the 49ers offense.

Especially when it’s struggling to pick up first downs.

All told, Lance had his up-and-down moments. No getting around the bad, but they’re not all “doom and gloom” items. Lance showed composure, bounced back from notable setbacks.

Now, the choice is on Shanahan to see if Lance’s continued maturation and development should come at the expense of Jimmy Garoppolo.