Former first-round pick Trey Lance had a tough outing with the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the 2024 NFL preseason.
He threw five interceptions in the game, each highlighting aspects of his skill set that need to be improved if Lance is ever going to live up to the hype he entered the league with.
Here we dive into what the All-22 tells us about Lance's final preseason performance this summer.
Lance actually got off to a pretty good start in this game, leading a field goal drive on the first drive and moving the ball efficiently as a passer.
Then in the second quarter the first signs of problems appeared.
Trey Lance's first interception against the Chargers. He made a crucial mistake here and if he had been more patient, this interception could have been a touchdown. pic.twitter.com/xFlgUCxaop
– Jesse Reed (@JesseReed78) 25 August 2024
Lance's big mistake here is simply poor ball position. The ball should have been thrown to the receiver's outside shoulder, damn near the sideline. Instead, Jalen Moreno-Cropper falls over as he tries to turn the other way toward the middle of the field. And by that point, Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson (who had been reading Lance's eyes the whole time) was already in possession of the football.
If Lance had thrown the ball where it needed to go, the Cowboys probably would have scored on the first try and moved on.
But I have one minor complaint here. Lance seems to have planned his throw in advance before the snap. It looks like he would have had a chance for a touchdown if he had kept his options open for half a second longer, because the outside receiver broke behind three Chargers defenders and only had to get past one man.
With the second interception, Lance's problems only got worse as the game went on. Here, in the third quarter, Lance tries to cap a long drive with points in the red zone. Instead, he made an annoying decision that cost the Cowboys a big loss.
Trey Lance's second interception against the Chargers. Tony Jefferson baited him, and then Lance made things worse with a poorly thrown pass that gave no Cowboys player a chance at the ball. pic.twitter.com/CL969wSJ79
– Jesse Reed (@JesseReed78) 25 August 2024
No one had a chance with this pass. Except Jefferson, who kept an eye on Lance the whole time and was ready to strike as soon as the ball was in the air.
The decision to throw there also makes no sense. Frankly, there wasn't a single Cowboys receiver free on that play and Lance should have either tried to run the ball or throw it away.
Bad process. Bad result.
The third interception Lance threw against the Chargers is one he will probably remember for a long time, even if he doesn't want to.
Trey Lance's third interception against the Chargers. He sees the blitz but doesn't seem to notice that LB Tre'Mon Morris-Brash has dropped into coverage. To make matters worse, Lance gets run over on the pick-six. pic.twitter.com/OSLCSQrEHL
– Jesse Reed (@JesseReed78) 25 August 2024
Lance started this play by recognizing that the Chargers were blitzing and calling for defense, but he didn't see Tre'Mon Morris-Brash, who had dropped into coverage after lining up at the edge.
Once again, it seems as if Lance had already decided where he was going to go with the football before the snap, and once again that decision hurt him.
On to the fourth interception, where Lance panicked under pressure and said a prayer.
Trey Lance's fourth interception against the Chargers. He gets flushed out of the pocket under heavy pressure and seems to panic a little on this ill-advised throw. pic.twitter.com/PbcRoqppii
– Jesse Reed (@JesseReed78) 25 August 2024
That ball should never have been thrown. Lance wanted too much. He should have thrown the ball away or taken a sack.
With just seven seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Lance had a chance to finish on a positive note.
In fact, he made a very good decision in time that could have led to a touchdown. Unfortunately, Lance placed too much emphasis on this pass and the pass went several feet over the head of his receiver.
Trey Lance's fifth and final interception against the Chargers. He read the ball correctly and threw it in time. But he overdid the throw and missed his target by several yards. pic.twitter.com/W8A6CLVFxT
– Jesse Reed (@JesseReed78) 25 August 2024
It's clear that Lance still has a lot of cleaning up to do.
Two things are always at the forefront for him: ball placement and decision making. These are the two most important things an NFL quarterback must do well to be successful.
Fortunately for Lance, the Cowboys seem to want to help him continue to develop. Team owner Jerry Jones told reporters immediately after the tough performance that Lance would remain on the roster.
“I saw some good things and I saw some things that you'd like to have back,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, according to Pro Football Talk. “I hate that those five interceptions are going to be a statistic in a game where I couldn't have asked for more reps and a better situation to watch him play. He needed that because the one thing he lacks more than anything is the lack of reps, let alone NFL reps. We certainly plan on adding him to our roster no matter what.”
The fact is, however, that Lance still has a real mountain to climb. Whether he can reach the summit remains to be seen.
