Cowboys QB Trey Lance faces tough reality after losing to the Rams in preseason opener

On their first game of the preseason, not many cared about the underwhelming 13-12 score that gave the Dallas Cowboys the meaningless loss.

Instead, all eyes were on quarterback Trey Lance as he made his debut as a member of America's Team while trying to improve his position on the depth chart and surpass Cooper Rush as Dak Prescott's top replacement.

So how did he do? Well, there were some good and bad moments. Let's break it down, starting with the two drives he had in the first half and additional second half notes with a lesser supporting cast around him.

First drive: Good and bad

Lance opened up with a few good and bad moments. Most notably, he scrambled for a 16-yard gain on a third-and-ten when nothing was there and the offensive line cleared the way. First-round rookie Tyler Guyton handles the inside move from the defensive end and Lance makes the most of it by taking off and evading a couple of defenders at the second level.

However, Lance missed a fade shot against the rising Jalen Cropper in the end zone for what could've been quite the highlight for the Cowboys quarterback.

Second drive: Deeper OL sparks trouble

With Guyton out of the game, Lance's second drive became more problematic but did yield three points. Drops were an issue for the offense and they essentially killed the drive but Lance did have a great moment escaping the pressure and finding his receiver to move the chains while working to his left.

Trey did seemingly miss Flournoy being wide open on third-and-long and based on the TV copy, the quarterback is looking right at the rookie wide receiver when the cornerback wrongly turns his back expecting a deep route.

Second half notes:

• Lance had more instances of being the victim of bad drops, including more missteps from rookie WR Ryan Flournoy.
• The Cowboys used Trey Lance on some designed runs and it's clear he provides a spark in that area. In practice, Lance has been spotted running some unique read option RPOs, as well. He later had a successful QB sneak.
• On fourth and three from an empty formation, Lance had a play that earned a "that's a heck of an effort" reaction from opposing HC Sean McVay. Lance spun out of a would-be sack and ran to the sidelines to move the chains.
• Lance took a deep shot at the start of the fourth quarter that was overthrown by a wide margin, giving his receiver no shot at making a catch in the end zone. One play later, he took an ugly sack on fourth down.
• Lance got into a nice rhythm the following drive, including a streak of four consecutive passes but did miss Princeton Fant in the end zone for what likely would've been a touchdown.

Overall, how did Lance do?

The reality of the situation is that Trey Lance didn't play a terrible game. But he also didn't do enough to move the needle at the Cowboys QB depth chart. Most of the damage he was able to deal happened late in plays and his accuracy failed to stand out. That combined with multiple missed opportunities make him land on my "losers" list out of the preseason opener.

The good news for the young quarterback is that he remains a talented player who might get better with more and more reps. Particularly, the threat of his legs as a passer on the run and as a ball-carrier were some of the best things we saw on Sunday.

However, right now, Lance faces a tough reality after his debut as a Cowboy: He has two more preseason games to take over Cooper Rush's position on the depth chart. And with the way the game went in Week 1 of the preseason, it wouldn't be a surprise if Rush is given more time to work with next weekend when the Cowboys take on the Las Vegas Raiders.