Trey Lance waited nearly a year to finally throw the football for the Dallas Cowboys.
The former top-three selection for the San Francisco 49ers lost ground in the quarterback battle to Brock Purdy ahead of the 2023 NFL season. His loss persuaded the Niners to deal him away to their postseason rival, with S.F. giving up on its No. 3 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft in the process.
Because the move occurred after the ’23 preseason, Lance never saw snaps with Dallas until Sunday, Aug. 11, came along. And Lance’s long-awaited Cowboys debut versus the Los Angeles Rams sparked lots of strong reactions on social media.
Trey Lance Shows Future ‘Starter Potential’ Against Rams
Lance’s wait actually extended past the Cowboys’ first offensive possession, as Cooper Rush was given the starting QB reins at SoFi Stadium.
Rush, who spent last season as the QB2 behind Dak Prescott, led a seven-play, 58-yard scoring drive to open the game for Dallas, culminating in a Brandon Aubrey 30-yard field goal.
But Lance stepped in on the subsequent Cowboys possession. He led a drive of 10 plays and 41 yards. Included in that drive was this 19-yard scamper during a 3rd-and-long scenario.
Trey Lance using his legs 💨
📺: #DALvsLAR on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/93i9bq26IO— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2024
That drive stalled, but Lance still sparked social media reactions. Former host of FS1’s “Undisputed” and longtime Cowboys fan Skip Bayless couldn’t help but marvel at Lance’s potential — especially as a possible starter down the road.
“Trey Lance has big-time talent. Can accelerate and fly. Big arm. Now it’s about poise and rebuilding confidence and especially about accuracy. But you can see the starter POTENTIAL,” Bayless posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Trey Lance has big-time talent. Can accelerate and fly. Big arm. Now it's about poise and rebuilding confidence and especially about accuracy. But you can see the starter POTENTIAL.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 11, 2024
Even Rams head coach Sean McVay was another who marveled at one sequence involving Lance, which saw him complete a throw on the run.
“You can’t lose the rush contain against Lance. Good play by him. Lose contain, he escapes with his eyes down the field. You give him credit right there,” McVay was overheard saying during an in-game interview.
Rams coach Sean McVay on this Trey Lance completion: “You can’t lose the rush contain against Lance. Good play by him. Lose contain, he escapes with his eyes down the field. You give him credit right there.” pic.twitter.com/RAdlGruL7i
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 11, 2024
Lance was demonstrating the plays that made him such a high draft pick three years ago. And as it turned out, Lance’s day was nothing like what Stetson Bennett IV of the Rams endured, as he got picked off four times.
Trey Lance hasn’t been perfect but Stetson Bennett today…sheesh
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 11, 2024
Finally, Lance received one strong backer in former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert.
“[I don’t care] what anyone says Trey Lance can play football,” Benkert posted on X.
IDC what anyone says Trey Lance can play football
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) August 11, 2024
Lance’s Final Stats in Dallas Debut
Lance wound up finishing the game as the QB who handled the bulk of the snaps.
After Rush completed two of three passes for 44 yards in one drive, Lance stepped in to finish 25-of-41 passing for 188 yards. Lance, though, was more impressive as a runner.
By turning to his legs, Lance tacked on 44 rushing yards to lead the Cowboys. He also averaged 7.3 yards per carry.
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But back to Lance’s day on the aerial side, he connected with an astonishing 13 different wide receivers. Lance helped turn undrafted 2023 WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper into the Cowboys’ leading wideout with four catches for 26 yards.
John Stephens Jr. followed Moreno-Cropper by snatching three passes for 19 yards. From there, a plethora of targets grabbed one or two catches including Jalen Brooks and rookie tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford.
Lance said earlier in the week leading up to the Rams’ showdown that this preseason game felt like a “big game for [him].” With 232 total yards of offense, it’s safe to say he took this preseason game seriously.