Film Study - Lance's 18 Most Interesting Plays From Saturday
The curious case of Trey Lance gets the entire final preseason game. We examine it!
Let’s talk Trey Lance. We might not get to do this ever again, so as the final preseason games are played and before the massive cutdowns happen, I wanted to see some film and talk some ball.
First, thank you for reading SturmStack. It means a lot to me that you guys have made this possible. I thank you because you are willing to support nuance in football analysis by virtue of your presence here.
I believe nuance is needed in every situation when we discuss this great game. So, let’s start here.
I don’t know the end of the Trey Lance story. But, right now, in August of 2024, he is both intriguing and frustrating.
He can make plays that are excellent, yet he cannot make the lay-ups. He has a very high ceiling and a very low floor.
On Saturday, I tweeted a thought that I will repeat here:
“It is like he can make plays that most QBs cannot, but also cannot make plays that most QBs can.”
That is the Trey Lance story for me. And as it contrasts with Cooper Rush, they could not be further from each other.
Rush is the guy who can make free throws all day. He can run the offense, and he knows it like the back of his hand. Most importantly, he understands the risk and reward of every situation. He has proven as much in the two times he has been given charge of the Cowboys in the regular season. He kept them in every game and almost never sabotaged the situation with poor decisions, gambles, or just mistakes.
Lance is from the long line of guys who flash upside. His best plays – as you will see below – are so impressive. He is so much faster than Rush, with a stronger arm than Rush, and if this was a skills competition, it would be over before it starts. He can leap tall buildings in a single bound. But, can he make a free throw?
I will concede, sometimes these guys figure it out. Josh Allen is a great example, and if you review his tape at Wyoming, you will see some incredible feats of magic and the complete inability to hit a RB in the flat. So, yes, there are examples of this profile hitting the lottery. But, for every Josh Allen, there are 50 Tim Tebows.
But, by Year 4 in the NFL, we have a few things working against us. The first is simply time. He is getting older and, by extension, much more expensive if he ever starts. Check with Jordan Love on that. The thing about Love is that his development was completed by Year 4, and Lance still needs plenty of time in the oven.
Next is the economic component, as he has already made over $30 million and probably planned on making much more. He can control this part, and if he committed to playing for next to nothing for a couple of years and just developing his career, perhaps we have a solution, but his contract is about to expire. And the price for backup QBs is rising fast, too.
As you know, I find it hilarious that this was the plan to succeed Dak Prescott. But, if you told me that this is your plan to back up Prescott for 2025-2026, I find it less offensive. Keep Cooper Rush for 2024, and then Lance is your QB2 after you lock in Dak?
I guess I can find some interest there.
Below, let’s look at the 18 most interesting snaps of his day. I will tell you now, I listed 11 of them as “good” and 7 of them as “bad” snaps.
Let’s begin: