San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
49ers rookie Trey Lance wows with TD pass against Chiefs.
It couldn’t start any better for quarterback of future
Los Angeles, in case you were wondering.
That’s where the 2022 Super Bowl will be played. Book your hotel rooms now, 49ers fans.
Trey Lance’s first completed NFL pass was an 80-yard touchdown throw Saturday evening against the Kansas City Chiefs, a good squad.
That was the only pass Lance completed in the first quarter, but that wasn’t simply the first quarter of the exhibition season. It was the first quarter of the rest of our lives.
Never mind that this was,
indeed, an exhibition game, and these things get more exhibition-y every year. Ten of the 49ers’ projected firststring defensive players had the night off, maybe to go bowling. Three key offensive guys also had the game off — George Kittle, Trent Williams and Raheem Mostert.
Also taking the night off: about 35,000 of the 55,000 fans who bought tickets. Even so, it was the biggest practice game in the 49ers’ recent history. It was so big that projected starting head coach Kyle Shanahan suited up in his coaching togs and coached the whole game.
Also never mind that Lance’s Throw for the Ages came at the expense of a rookie defensive back who lost wide receiver Trent Sherfield like Little Bo Peep lost her sheep. It’s possible no 49ers’ wide receiver will be that open again this season.
To reiterate: Never mind all the disclaimers. Magic is magic.
“Good first day,” Shanahan said of Lance’s debut. “Didn’t want it to go perfect for him.”
It didn’t. But the young fella didn’t disappoint.
This was the most eagerly awaited rookie debut in Bay Area sports since when? Tim Lincecum in 2007? Buster Posey in 2010? Can’t put Stephen Curry on this list; in 2009 Curry was just a mildly interesting rookie whom many hoped would develop into a reliable starter for a bad team.
No player in the last 30 years, that I can think of, hit the scene as a rookie with the expectation that he could lead his team to a championship in his first or second season.
Lance only hyped his own hype by having a very impressive first 13 days in training camp, outperforming Jimmy Garoppolo and rearranging all the expectations and timelines.
That touchdown pass shook up the 49ers’ world order even further.
On Lance’s first two pass plays, he threw a nice 11-yarder off a scramble, but the pass was dropped. Then Lance got sacked.
Next series, 1st-and-10 at the 49ers’ 20, Lance play-actioned a handoff right, spun and faded left, looking downfield. And unloaded. The rainbow sailed 37 yards (per NFLGSIS), but add at least another 10 yards (my estimate) because it was thrown cross-field. That’s a heave.
Garoppolo, in his 49ers’ career, has thrown only one TD pass that sailed farther, a 49-yarder in 2019 (per AP’s Josh Dubow).
No matter how you slice it and dice it and try to downplay it, it was a dramatic introduction. Johnny Cash always opened his concerts with a dramatic, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” This was kind of like that.
That said, Lance had to back it up. You can’t throw an 80-yard pass and then fumble your way through the rest of the game.
Lance’s second series wasn’t much, low-lighted by a very hard sack, his second of the half. But starting off the next drive, Lance zinged a 34-yard completion, suffered another drop, then on the next series another drop (Richie James) on a frozen rope cross-field sideline pass.
Lance might not have been nervous, but his receivers seemed to be. Haven’t these guys heard of Spider Tack?
One thing we didn’t see from Lance in his first NFL action: Legs. No run-pass option, no called quarterback run, no pack it in and run.
That’s a weapon Shanahan apparently prefers to keep in the bag, for two reasons. One, no need to show future foes exactly how the 49ers plan to use Lance as a runner. Let them guess. Two, no need to risk the health of the guy many now believe will be the starting quarterback within a few games into the season.
It was a mixed debut for Lance, who played one series into the second half. Three sacks, a fumble that he recovered, a couple of missed open receivers, 5-for-14 passing for 128 yards and a 93.8 passer rating.
The 49ers’ coaches said they wanted Lance to learn from his successes and failures, and he had both in his debut. But, oh, that big pass. What else did we learn? Lance can drop back into the pocket and, if necessary, take a hit. He can scamper away from pressure. He can see guys downfield. He can throw the ball really hard.
No deer in the headlights, this guy. Unless the deer is wearing cool shades. No rookie meltdown for Lance. What Lance did to temper the enthusiasm that’s been building up over the last month: Zero. How did Garoppolo look? Oops, we’re all out of time. Remember: Los Angeles, February 9.