Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy wants quarterback Trey Lance to feel comfortable and play to his strengths.
It’s not about living up to being the No. 3 pick from San Francisco in 2021 but about proving to McCarthy that the Cowboys didn’t make a mistake by trading for him nearly a year ago.
Lance performed well in Saturday’s 27-12 preseason win over the Raiders. After backup quarterback Cooper Rush played the first quarter, Lance threw for 151 yards, completing 15 of 23 passes, including his first touchdown as a Cowboy.
“I definitely felt more comfortable coming out,” Lance said, finishing with a 98.3 quarterback rating. “I would have liked to start a bit faster in the third quarter.
Left some plays out there, but I’m excited to review the tape. I learned a lot and had fun competing with these guys.”
Last week, Lance had a 72.0 quarterback rating in a 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, where he completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards and led the team with 44 rushing yards.
This week, he appeared more relaxed and effective. During the game in Las Vegas, Lance found his rhythm along with running backs Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman, who helped get the running game going.
By his third drive, with the Raiders leading 6-3, Lance showed the skills McCarthy hoped for. His calm under pressure led to a 14-play, 76-yard touchdown drive against six of the Raiders’ starting defenders.
From a shotgun formation, Lance made a perfectly placed pass to rookie receiver Ryan Flournoy, who caught the ball over Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones.
