INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Trey Lance’s first preseason game as a Dallas Cowboy looked similar to his first few weeks of training camp practices. The fourth-year quarterback was inconsistent.
Taking the field for the first game in 357 days, Lance ended up playing all but one series after Cooper Rush got the start. Although Lance didn’t turn the ball over, he also didn’t make enough big plays in Dallas’ 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
“I’m excited to watch (the film),” Lance said. “I think I left some plays out there for sure, across the board, from the first quarter to the fourth. We get the ball four extra possessions and we don’t score a touchdown, that’s not a good feeling. It was fun. I learned a ton from it. I’ll learn a ton from the tape. But I want to score touchdowns for sure.”
Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards, finishing with a 72.0 passer rating.
“I’m trying to get as much as I can with him,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “We want to see him run the offense at a high level. The footwork and some of the things we’re asking him to do conceptually, they’re new. We just need work. We just need as much time as we can.
“He’s making good progress. He’s definitely wired the right way. He’s a great athlete. We just have a lot of work to do.”
Trey Lance using his legs 💨
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McCarthy said he liked how Lance handled the play calls and commanded the huddle.
Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton said Lance was “efficient” in the huddle.
“I think he’s a confident player,” Guyton added. “He knows what he wants to do. He’s quick and responsive. I like how he calls plays.”
Lance’s athleticism is obvious. When he couldn’t initially find an open receiver, he used his legs on multiple occasions to either buy time for something to open up or pick up yards with his feet.
One of the best examples came midway through the second quarter. With the pocket collapsing, Lance escaped, bought some time and then found wide receiver David Durden along the left sideline for a 16-yard gain on second-and-12.
Rams coach Sean McVay mentioned how he was impressed by the play while he was mic’d up during the NFL Network game broadcast.
“You can’t lose the rush contain against Lance,” McVay said. “Good play by him. Lose contain, he escapes with his eyes down the field. You give him credit right there.”
On other occasions, Lance used his feet to move the chains. He finished with a team-high 44 rushing yards on six carries. His longest run went for 19 yards.
“I think it’s just kind of a feel,” Lance said. “You get a good feel for it as the game progresses. Good decisions, bad decisions, I think it’s another thing I need to see on tape. See when I should’ve gone and when I should’ve gotten the ball out of my hand.”
Lance had a great opportunity to lead Dallas on a touchdown drive on his first possession. The Cowboys went 41 yards on 10 plays but things stalled on the Rams’ 3-yard line when Lance threw too high for wide receiver Jalen Cropper in the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-1.
“I wish I had that play call back,” McCarthy said.
What does he need to do to connect on those plays in the future?
“Just make the throw,” Lance said. “Make the throw.”
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There was another opportunity for a touchdown throw midway through the fourth quarter. Tight end Princeton Fant was wide open along the right sideline because of what appeared to be a blown coverage by the Rams. Lance didn’t see it and went underneath to wide receiver Cam Johnson for a 6-yard gain.
“I saw it on the pictures (on the sideline),” Lance said. “It’s one of those things, I think I was a little bit ahead of it, too fast with my feet. … There’s plays like that across the board. It happens and it’s one of those things that I learn from. Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
The plan isn’t expected to change much at quarterback for the Cowboys’ next two preseason games. Dak Prescott is unlikely to play. Rush probably won’t get too much more work than he did Sunday. So that leaves Lance to get the majority of the snaps in both games. It’ll be interesting to see how he builds on his first preseason snaps since he was with the San Francisco 49ers last August. He should be able to take more from Sunday’s reps than anything he experienced in practices with the Cowboys last season or the work he has received more recently in OTAs, minicamp and training camp when players aren’t hitting the quarterback.
Lance doesn’t believe rust was an issue against the Rams.
“It’s been a year but that’s never going to be an excuse at all,” he said. “I’ve had a ton of snaps in practice throughout OTAs and training camp. Just excited for next week.”
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
