Trey Lance is "Making it Tough" on 49ers' Defense Says DeMeco Ryans
Iron sharpens iron.
It sounds like the defense of the 49ers has been enduring fits with the 49ers' offense and Trey Lance is largely responsible for it.
Having to defend a quarterback who is mobile and has incredible arm strength to toss it deep or dart it in the middle of the field is challenging. Even for an elite defense such as the 49ers. It is why they have struggled immensely against the likes of Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray over the years.
And while the 49ers can't actually rush him, it is still an impressive feat to challenge the 49ers' defense. Even DeMeco Ryans says that Lance is "making it tough" on his defense.
"I think Trey has done a great job. It's good to see him with his command and him running the offense. He's zipping it past us a lot, so he's making it tough on us. Trey has done a great job. It's good to see him just coming into his own role as a leader and being able to take control of the team. We're fired up, fired up for Trey and what he can do for us."
Ryans said something that he nor Robert Saleh has ever said when Jimmy Garoppolo was the quarterback: "He's zipping it past us a lot, so he's making it tough on us." When has that EVER been said about Garoppolo from a defensive coach? What about even somewhat close to that? You'd be hard pressed to find anything.
Now, you could say Ryans is just propping Lance up because that is what a coach should do. But Ryans has never been one to blow smoke about a player. When he praises and hypes a player up, he means it. He's not saying it just to say it. And if that were the case, then something similar would have been said about Garoppolo before. The reason it never was is because he can't do what Lance does.
Transitioning from Garoppolo to Lance isn't just going to make the offense better, but the defense as well. Now they can grow more accustomed to quarterbacks with elite traits like arm strength and mobility. The 49ers' defense will be better for it and Ryans sees that along with Lance becoming a leader and "taking command."
This all is going to set up for an intense training camp between the offense and defense.