San Francisco 49ers Rookie Quarterback Trey Lance in Week 5

The San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury in Week 4, so now they may have to turn to their first-round draft pick Trey Lance to direct the offense. But, of course, Lance will get handed the reigns if Jimmy Garoppolo can’t play in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, which is looking like a real possibility.

The current NFL betting odds show the 49ers as 5.5 point underdogs vs. a red-hot Cardinals squad. Is there a way Trey Lance can pull off the upset in Arizona?

Keep reading to find out what to expect from Lance this Sunday afternoon.

Lance Passes The Eye-Test

From what we’ve seen of the 23-year-old first-round draft pick, he’s more than league-ready. In Week 1 against the Lions, Lance’s 2nd snap in an NFL game was a touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield. I’d say that’s a pretty good start for a rookie quarterback.

We got to see much more of Lance last Sunday vs. the Seahawks when Garoppolo left the game at halftime. Unfortunately, he started the second half shaky, gaining just one first down over his first two possessions.

After those failed drives, he seemed to regain some confidence and showed his precision on a throw to Deebo Samuel that resulted in a 76-yard touchdown.

He ended that game with 157 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. However, that was only in one half played. He would have had an incredible full game stat-line if he had played the entire game at that pace.

Shanahan Will Use Lance In The Ground Game

Sure, Trey Lance can throw a pretty ball, but his legs are his best weapon. We don’t know the exact time, but he’s rumored to run around a 4.5-second 40-yard dash.

The Cardinals’ defense has been great against the pass, ranking 11th in pass yards allowed per game. Unfortunately for Cardinals’ fans, they haven’t been as good against the run, letting opponents gain an average of 135.8 rushing yards per game, the 26th in the league.

I think the 49ers coach, Kyle Shanahan, knows this and will game plan accordingly. I believe he’ll focus on putting Lance in read-option scenarios, where the quarterback has the option to run the ball himself. It’s the same offense that mobile quarterback Colin Kaepernick benefited from back in 2012.

Can Trey Lance Lead the San Francisco 49ers To Victory?

I’m not so sure Lance can lead his team to an upset against the only undefeated team left in the league. There is a possibility that he helps the 49ers cover the spread, though, using his legs to propel the San Francisco offense.

As I said above, I think Trey Lance could have a big game on the ground this Sunday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tallied 100-yards rushing. This strategy could help San Francisco with their time of possession and keep the game close.

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