How Will Cowboys Judge Trey Lance?

The Dallas Cowboys ended their preseason with a 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium, and the biggest storyline to come out of the game was Trey Lance's five interceptions .

There was some good from Lance, which included drives of 15, 11, 15, 11, and 16 plays, plus his best "NFL-caliber" throw, a 25-yard dart to John Stephens Jr., which the tight end then fumbled.

Lance also led a nine-play, 70-yard drive in the fourth quarter as he was trying to tie the game with a touchdown before throwing his fifth interception to end the game.

So there was some good, but the turnovers, for some, washed away all the good work that Lance accomplished at times during the game.

Head coach Mike McCarthy praised Lance for his work against the Chargers but stated that they would start with the turnovers when evaluating the game.

“Trey, he's just an ascending young, talented quarterback,” McCarthy said. “Just loves to be coached, I wish we had three more preseason games just to get him out there to keep playing because he had tremendous production. But yes, turnovers are always the first thing we talk about, coach, and go through. That last opportunity, he definitely was where he needed to be, had chance to hit that last touchdown. So there's always been four or five plays each game that he'll learn from, but he continually gets better every time you give him a chance, and I think that says a lot about him. He's just a young guy that needs to play, I think he'll play in this league for a long time.”

With Lance stating post-game that his confidence hasn't been shaken after throwing five interceptions, Cowboys Nation's certainly has.

But if we are reading the tea leaves right, Jerry Jones stated again post-game that Lance will be on the 53-man roster, and McCarthy had glowing praise for his quarterback, so Lance is safe, it appears, especially considering his $5 million cap hit.

Cooper Rush has done nothing but be the solid, dependable backup that the Cowboys like in preseason, but in Lance, he does things that Rush can't. Conversely, Lance makes decisions with the football that Rush won't.

Related: 'It Sucks!' Bland Replacement 'Taking Notes' As New Rookie Starter

Yes, the ability to use his legs is a genuine weapon, and he had some good moments in Dallas' three games, but the turnovers and high throws mean he's a work in progress at quarterback.

And after a full offseason and three games to make an assessment, that's hardly ideal.