Trey Lance was touted to bloom in the offensive system setup by Kyle Shanahan for the San Francisco 49ers. Fans also had high hopes for the talented QB. However, his recent lackluster performance in the preseason game left everyone a bit disappointed. Noticing the same, former NFL player turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky gave a stinging criticism regarding Lance.
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After a season-ending injury in 2022, Lance was showing promise in the offseason that he has what it takes to be the 49ers’ QB. However, the recent game against the Las Vegas Raiders clearly showed that there are some chinks in his armor and a lot of room for improvement.
Dan Orlovsky Reckons Trey Lance Can’t Thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s System
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was having none of it when speaking about Trey Lance on ‘Get Up’. He expressed his doubts about Trey by saying, “I don’t think Trey Lance can play in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. I just — I’ve seen enough. One, [Lance] doesn’t have enough reps playing football. That’s a reality”.
While noticing a touchdown by Lance near-pick pass during the Raiders game, Orlovsky pointed out, “That ball is almost intercepted. It should go to the left because the guy’s wide open. The ball doesn’t come out quick enough for Trey right now, and I think that after watching yesterday, he’s so much more comfortable as an under-center quarterback than a shotgun quarterback”.
Dan Orlovsky then switched to talking about the offensive setup of Kyle Shanahan with respect to Trey Lance. He said,
“But Kyle’s offense has really become a shotgun offense. It’s become ball distribution. It’s become play point guard. It’s become get it out quickly. And that’s just not where Trey is right now. I want to be fair to Trey — he got better as the game went on, and that’s why those reps matter. I just don’t think he can play in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He should have thrown two interceptions. The ball gets held so long for him right now, and it hasn’t gotten better in the three years that he’s been in the NFL”.
Although, as the game progressed, Lance got more into the groove. However, he was still taking time to release the ball from his possession. The analysis by Dan Orlovsky has certainly put doubt in everyone’s mind about whether Trey Lance is the perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s shotgun-based offense or not.
Trey Lance Faces the Heat From All Sides
Trey Lance has been meeting with criticisms lately. Colin Cowherd, who’s known for his no-nonsense approach, had some harsh words for the San Francisco 49ers QB on his show ‘Herd w/Colin Cowherd‘. He said,
“His quarterback rating was the most deceiving of the weekend. He basically threw two picks and both were dropped. I think I’ve seen enough. This isn’t it. He’s not as accurate as Brock Purdy. He’s not as talented as Sam Darnold. But the problem is it’s no time to experiment. And that’s what Trey Lance is. He was also pressured four times and sacked four times. So we know he’s not really accurate”.
Cowherd didn’t stop at that as he drew a comparison with the Baltimore Raven quarterback Lamar Jackson saying, “If you pressure Lamar Jackson four times, generally he’s going to escape a couple of them. So what I was told, Trey was just not as athletic and twitchy as they thought when they got him in the building, and that the accuracy stuff they work with. But this is kind of who he is”.
Given that Lance only has 4 regular season starts, it’s worth giving him the benefit of the doubt and time to adjust himself well. As the season nears, we’ll get to know whether these early criticisms will define the season for Trey Lance or not.
