There’ll be a lot going on Saturday when the 49ers open their preseason slate against the Kansas City Chiefs. One player in particular will have additional eyeballs on him when he takes the field though: rookie quarterback Trey Lance. But what exactly would a successful night look like for Lance?
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Lance was slated to play most of the first half after starter Jimmy Garoppolo took the first series. While analysts, writers and fans will have their takes on Lance’s performance, Shanahan delved into what he’d be looking for from the No. 3 overall pick.
“I mean, I want to see him take command of the huddle,” Shanahan said. “There actually will be a play clock out there. Just being aware of that. You know, sometimes you get comfortable when you miss a play call or something. We can always re-huddle and I’ll give it to you again, but I’m not going to be able to talk after 15 seconds and it’s going to be silent and what are we going to do? And how quick do we get it to the line and execute it? And it’s also tough when you’re playing with a lot of guys who it’s their first time too. So, you’ve got to help people out a little bit, but he’s going to have a lot on his plate and I’m just excited to see how he handles it.”
The physical tools are exceedingly obvious with Lance. It’s the minutiae he’s going to have to figure out before the club is ready to hand him the keys to the offense. That includes commanding the huddle, getting the plays right, taking the snap, taking care of the football, and all the other little things that eventually become second nature to experienced quarterbacks.
All of that is where Lance is going to separate himself because the physical ability is there. If he can get all that small stuff down, and then go out and make plays with his speed and big arm, he’ll set himself up for a lot of success over the next few weeks leading up to the regular season.