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See You, Raise You: Trey Lance's First Start in Arizona vs. his Second Start this Sunday

It’s your time, Trey.

Kev Mitchell

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Yes indeed, 49ers faithful. It has been some time (far too long) since I had somebody riding shotgun in the Silverado, talking 49ers football.

I know, what took me so long, right? Well in all honesty, though there is no such thing as a “right time,” I wanted to wait until the “best” time to take this ride. And what better time, than on a ride home to Levi’s Stadium, to what looks to be the second career start of rookie Trey Lance? That said, welcome to or back to the Silverado, as always, I appreciate you riding with me. Time is precious, so I definitely appreciate yours. 

Let’s first briefly discuss how we got here by recapping our last two rides (conversations) in case you missed them and also to just paint a better picture. So, go ahead and ensure you don’t end up on IR due to injury by putting on your seatbelt and I’ll explain on our way. 

First there was the QB1 conversation in August, then there was the Necessary evolution of Kyle Shanahan conversation back in October. 

Now that we got that out the way, let’s ride. 

Trey Lance's first start vs the Arizona Cardinals

Back in Week 5, young Lance as forced into action as starter Jimmy Garoppolo was sidelined due to a calf injury. Though Lance would get to see his first action of the season, it would look to be a lot to ask as the San Francisco 49ers were facing the then red hot Arizona Cardinals, who were scoring 30-plus points per game and playing stingy defense. 

Some may agree and others may not, but through my lens, head coach Kyle Shanahan did little to nothing to help Lance as he just about used him as a running back. I get he is great with his legs, but don’t make him, a guy you gave up a king’s ransom for, a slave to his playmaking ability with his legs. Especially when he can do so much with his arm.

I don’t know if it was preparation time, the offensive line adjusting to a more mobile quarterback or Shanahan trying to prove a point (Lance wasn’t ready), but it resulted in a 17-10 loss.

And it wasn’t just Shanahan who seemed to have an off day and give Lance little to no help, as the offensive line and offense as a whole subsequently left their best in the Bay Area. Just take a look at the would-be scoring possessions that day as both drops and penalties plagued the team that game.

Not the best overall team performance (by the offense) for a rookie making his first start, but ironically he did his best putting the team on his back accounting of 83 percent of the offense. Need I remind you the defense held these same scorching hot Cardinals to 17 points and held dual threat Kyler Murray to just one, yes one, rushing yard? Good show, defense!

No way, regardless of how comfortable Lance is using his legs, you call a mere 12 other running plays that didn’t include your rookie quarterback. That is not the best course of action. Of the 338 total yards gained in that game, Lance had fingerprints on 281 of them. Low and behold, he ended up hurt with a sprained knee. 

Though Lance didn’t have a great or even a good game in terms of stats in his first start, as he missed reads and even threw an interception, he did pretty well as a rookie, in his first start, playing out of position at running back, on the road, facing one of the best teams in the league at that point in the season. 

The 49ers punted only twice that game and won the time of possession battle 31:54 to 28:06. Suddenly those drops and penalties mean a lot, huh? In a loss, Lance finished 15 for 29 for 192 yards 0 TD’s, 1 int, and 16 rushes for 89 rushing yards. 

Let’s move along.

Trey Lance's second start vs the Houston Texans

As it stands, with Garoppolo not practicing all week at this point, Lance will make his second career start Sunday vs the Texans. Now, what I have yet to mention about Lance’s first start, is the team was without the Peoples Tight End George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk was still in jail (Kyle’s dog house), and Deebo Samuel (Sr.) (Congratulations to Deebo and family on the birth of his newborn son) had yet to be unleashed. 

This all bodes well for Lance as he is primmed to make his second career start and first at home in Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Not to mention, it seems not only has Lance improved drastically during the course of the season, and namely the last month, but teammates have also spoken up in support of him. The best left tackle in the game, Trent Williams, All-pro middle linebacker Fred Warner, and even underappreciated free safety Jimme Ward have shown their support of Lance in a recent interviews.

Though these observations and comments are only coming from practice, it’s very encouraging and the excitement of Lance, his ability to extend plays and add an extra threat to the run game and offense is definitely warranted. 

It’s important to keep in mind, Lance’s first start was back in Week 5 and the team (including the defense) and Lance since have gelled and gotten into a groove. Though In most cases, a rookie taking over for a vet at quarterback at this point in the season would be a huge step back.

Due to Lance's talent, upside and ability to extend plays, it would seem that’s not the case here. Not only does Lance have the needed confidence and skill set it takes for him to excel, his teammates share the same confidence in him as well. Now, it’s time for it all to translate to the field and in what would be his first win as a starter in the NFL.

What to expect from Lance

I’d venture to say Shanahan has learned from his last game plan that it’s not smart to run quarterback power and allow his future franchise quarterback to carry the ball more than his running backs. I expect to see a more conventional game plan this time, like what we’d see if Garoppolo was under center, but with the added element of Lance's legs. 

I’ve said multiple times on the Real Talk ‘9er Talk podcast, on Twitter, and even in articles that if Shanahan can protect Garoppolo with play calling, he can also do so with Lance and have the same if not more success. Because with Lance, it’s an 11-on-11 game as Lance can use his legs to extend plays. Most importantly, it’s time for Lance to show the world why the team gave up multiple first round picks to get him.

We have arrived

It’s no secret a start this late in the season, while chasing a playoff spot, is tough for any quarterback, especially a rookie. But based upon the talent around the rookie, the genius play caller in Shanahan, the dominant run game, and defense, I’d say Lance is in a pretty good position to succeed. As always, lean on the run game (rookie Elijah Mitchell possibly being back is a plus), solid defense, time of possession, and clean football to win the game Sunday. 

Though I expect to see more shots downfield with Lance at the helm, I fully expect a heavy dose of the run with timely play action passes, run pass options (RPO’s), and easy reads for Lance as he again shows what he can do when given the opportunity.

Speaking of what Lance can do when given the opportunity, here’s just a glimpse of what we all should be looking forward to see more of this Sunday at home vs the Texas cover 2 defense. 

It’s your time, Trey. Protect the ball, be smart, and be you, and all will be well. Go get your first NFL win.

See  you next ride.

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Kev Mitchell
KEV MITCHELL

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