Trey Lance had five interceptions in his game, but Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is not losing faith in the young quarterback.
Lance participated in the whole preseason game between the Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams. According to Ed Werder, not only did Dallas lose 26–19, but Lance was only the second quarterback in the last 30 preseasons to throw five interceptions in a single game.
Although the previous week’s 27-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders featured a touchdown pass with no interceptions, Lance still has the backing of head coach Mike McCarthy despite the loss.
By way of The Athletic’s Jon Machota:
McCarthy observed, “He continually gets better every time you give him a chance,” during the postgame press conference on Saturday, August 24. That, in my opinion, tells a lot about him. All he is is a young man in need of play. He will be in this league for a very long time, in my opinion.
After the 5-INT game, Trey Lance sends a message on “confidence.”
After being acquired in a preseason trade from the San Francisco 49ers, the 24-year-old Lance did not play a single minute of the 2023 season. He also did not get much practice time or reps because he was behind backup Cooper Rush and starting Dak Prescott.
After the game, Lance—who has not played in a regular season game since Week 2 of the 2022 season—admitted to his difficulties. Even after throwing five interceptions, he emphasized that his confidence is not wavering.
“Definitely ups and downs,” Lance remarked following the match. “I gave the ball away too frequently. I am still confident in myself. This is awful. Though it is only a small portion, this is one I will not soon forget. All you have to do is turn the page and flush it.
After the game, Jerry Jones defends the trade for Trey Lance.
After the game, team owner Jerry Jones made it plain to reporters that he does not regret trading the former No. 3 overall selection pick. Jones had previously said that Lance would be on the 53-man roster when the season began. In order to acquire Lance, the Cowboys had to forfeit a fourth-round selection pick to the Niners.
As a fourth-round selection? Are you joking with me? Despite the fact that we did choose Dak with our second fourth-round pick (in 2016),” Jones remarked after the game. “Yet some of them did not play in the fourth round, too,”
Even while it is obvious that Lance has a ways to go before he can be regarded as this league’s starting quarterback, he did get enough of preseason action and had some promising traits. Rush only attempted six passes while Prescott did not play a single snap. As Werder pointed out, Lance really became the first player since 2017 to throw for 500 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in a single preseason.
Not to mention Lance’s impressive 46-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, which showcased his agility and ability to create opportunities for others. After 11 attempts, Lance finished with 90 rushing yards.
Rush, Dallas’ dependable backup quarterback, and Lance had been vying for the No. 2 spot behind Prescott. But after a disastrous preseason, it seems more likely that Lance starts the season as the third quarterback once more.
