49ers’ Lance knows he must step it up

Trey Lance’s primary responsibility as the scout-team quarterback this season has been to give the 49ers’ defensive starters a good “look” at that week’s opponent, not to ensure he looks good in practice.

And that has created tension. Lance, for example, was hesitant to throw risky passes earlier in the season, which is understandable: He was a rookie wanting to make a good impression and, perhaps, prove to coaches he was starter material.

However, Lance’s main job was to mimic that week’s quarterback. And run the opponent’s offense. And help the 49ers’ defense develop a familiarity with their attack, sometimes at the expense of his own development.

Lance, who threw just one interception in 17 starts at North Dakota State, was falling short in practice. And inside linebacker Fred Warner said his caution was a reason a host of pass-interference flags were falling on the 49ers’ secondary early in the season.

“He was kind of playing things a little safer,” Warner said. “Using his legs a lot to try and extend (plays), or even just to run because he didn’t want to throw an interception. I had to kind of pull him to the side. … First of all, we weren’t getting the work that we needed to defend balls down the field. And you saw that on game day.”

Warner hopes Lance is the best version of himself on the 49ers’ next game day. Lance,

after spending most of the season in the scout-team shadows, is expected to make his second career start Sunday against the Texans at Levi’s Stadium with QB Jimmy Garoppolo doubtful to play due to a thumb injury.

Lance, 21, is confident he’s more prepared than he was for his first start, a 17-10 loss at Arizona on Oct. 10, partly because of the way he has been pushed by Warner, a first-team All-Pro, team captain and emotional heartbeat of the defense.

After Warner told reporters Wednesday that he once counseled Lance to practice with more abandon, partly to push his own limits, the third-overall pick added more to the story Friday. Lance said he had had multiple talks with Warner on the subject. And Warner sometimes figuratively gave him a kick in the rear, rather than throwing an arm around his shoulder.

“Sometimes (they were) maybe more heated than others,” Lance said. “I don’t necessarily want to say heated, but I’m a competitor. Fred’s obviously one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around.

“And for him to care, not only about the look they’re getting, but also my development. Him kind of pulling me off to the side — or maybe us shouting across the line of scrimmage — whatever it was.”

The messages got through. Lance spoke of “embracing my role a little bit more these last few weeks” and acknowledged he has benefited as a result.

He provided an example of mimicking quarterbacks with contrasting styles. In late October, he played the role of Bears rookie QB Justin Fields, who shares Lance’s running ability. Four weeks later, Lance was mimicking Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, an immobile pocket passer.

Lance was more comfortable as Fields. But playing as Cousins made him fight an instinct to flee the pocket, forcing him to keep scanning the secondary and make a throw against a defense that includes Pro Bowl pass rusher Nick Bosa.

“I think I gain a lot from both of those,” Lance said of Fields and Cousins. “Obviously, I think our D-line is really good, so I appreciate it when I can play kind of how I play and be off-schedule. But when I’m emulating for the defense a quarterback that doesn’t move necessarily a lot, and doesn’t play off-schedule, I think there’s things that I gain from that, for sure.”

The 49ers (8-7) hope to gain

Sunday from Lance’s improved work in practice. They can secure a playoff berth with season-ending wins against the Texans (4-11) and Rams (11-4) on Jan. 9. They could advance to the postseason as soon as Sunday with a victory and a loss by the Saints against the Panthers.

Warner expects Lance to show what he began to display behind the scenes once he embraced Warner’s advice to prioritize helping the defense — while also testing himself.

“For his sake, I’m like, “Listen this is your opportunity to take chances and develop that part of your game,’ ” Warner said. “‘Try to see, can you fit the ball into tight spaces? Can you throw on the run and make a completed pass downfield?’ … You started seeing these crazy plays where he’s just getting it right over guys’ fingertips and just tossing the ball downfield making these great plays.”

Said Lance: “It’s kind of finding a happy medium between giving those guys a look, obviously, and finding a way to make myself better.”

Lance caught himself, probably because he knows his primary responsibility on the scout team isn’t self-improvement: “Not necessarily finding a happy medium …” he continued.

Yep. The rookie is learning.