To many, NFL preseason games are just an extension of training camp. It’s a time for players to get in live action reps, coaches to test out new schemes, and teams to discover possible strengths and weaknesses of the roster.
To players like Trey Lance, the preseason is everything. The 24-year-old quarterback hasn’t played a game since last preseason. With San Francisco at the time, Lance played two preseason games last August, after which he lost the battle for QB2 and earned a trade to NFC rival Dallas in the process.
Lance, who’s only started four regular season games in the pros, needs all the live action he can get. For a former No. 3 overall draft pick, he has a ridiculously small amount of film to dissect. Even his college career was limited to a handful of games. The 2024 preseason may be Lance’s only chance to show the world what he can do before he hits free agency next March.
“Big game for me,” Lance said of the Rams game. “Big game for us so I’m excited to go out there and play well.”
Practices in Oxnard have been a mixed bag. Sometimes he delivers a dazzling highlight that reaffirms why he was a top pick three years ago. Other times he fires a ball off-target, ill-timed, and/or misread entirely. He’s shown all the qualities of an unreasoned QB extremely hungry for opportunities.
It was eight years ago against the Rams Dak Prescott provided his signature moment as an aspiring starter. Like Lance, Prescott wasn’t very dazzling or consistent in training camp, but when the lights came on and the preseason kicked off, Prescott rose to the occasion.
The hope is Lance can do something similar against the Rams this preseason. The Cowboys want Lance to succeed. They want their 2023 trade with the 49ers to pay off for them. They want him to push Cooper Rush for the primary back-up job. They basically want the same things Lance wants.
Based on practice reports and word out of LA , the Rams won’t be playing cornerbacks Tre’Davious White or Darious Williams so Lance should be going up against reserves and down-roster players most of the afternoon. Lance may not have CeeDee Lamb or Brandin Cooks to take full advantage of the situation, but he has plenty of capable receivers, most of which are embattled in a rather competitive WR competition. It’s an ideal situation for a QB searching for confidence.
Lance has a special opportunity in front of him to show he has NFL starting potential. Up until now he hasn’t looked the part. But gametime is showtime and what’s done under the bright lights of the preseason matter more than practices in camp. Can Lance rise to the occasion?
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