Trey Lance 'learned a ton' from preseason outing versus Rams

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has repeatedly noted that former first-round quarterback Trey Lance needs reps, and he finally got them on Sunday. Lance led the majority of the team’s offensive drives, but ultimately, he couldn’t lead them to victory as the Rams won 13-12 on the final drive of the preseason matchup.

Lance came into the game after second-string returning quarterback Cooper Rush played the first series. Rush went 2-for-3 for 44 before checking out to the sideline, letting his younger counterpart work with the Cowboys offense.

With the team fielding primarily second and third-string players, Lance went 25-for-41 with 188 passing yards and 44 rushing yards. Though he didn’t turn the ball over like Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett did four times, the former 49ers QB didn’t find the endzone and he took three sacks for a loss of 16 yards. One of his sacks came on a fourth-down conversion attempt.

“I think I learned a ton from it,” Lance said after the game. “We were efficient in and out of the huddle. It was a ton of fun to go out and compete and feel the energy in the huddle with those guys.

“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 touchdowns, that’s not a good feeling. It was a ton of fun. I learned a ton from it.”

Lance excited by opportunity with Dallas

Apart from the sack on fourth down, one of the plays Lance would like to have back was another fourth down play. The fourth-year QB had Jalen Moreno-Cropper open in the endzone but he sailed the pass just outside of his reach.

“Just make the throw,” Lance said of what he’d do differently. “I think it’s just kind of a feel. You feel it as the game progresses and I thought good decisions, bad decisions, it’s things I gotta see on tape.”

Despite recording a loss, the game against the Rams was a crucial opportunity for Lance. He’ll likely remain on the roster if he doesn’t beat out Rush thanks to the NFL’s emergency QB rule, but even still, the preseason games are chances for the former first-rounder to show what he’s got.

“It was good,” Lance said post-game. “It was exciting. Anytime we win the turnover battle four-to-nothing, I’d hope we win the game, so definitely got to score more points. But it was fun being back out there, for sure. I had fun.”