Trey Lance quickly found out how tough life can be as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
In his first game as the lead man for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Lance’s bad moments outweighed the good ones in a close 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Naturally, the second-year QB took the brunt of the criticism despite flashing his potential during what was his third career start.
Lance was quick to list all the mistakes on his own accord following the defeat.
"We made too many mistakes. Defense kept us in the game,” Lance said, via the team’s website. “I had a big miss to Tyler Kroft in the end zone. I tried to throw a perfect ball, but I should've just put it right on him, he was wide open. Turned the ball over, took a sack, then knocked us out of field goal range. I shouldn't have missed Deebo Samuel on the third down, missed another third down to Jauan Jennings -- just too many mistakes.”
Of course, the rainy weather in Chicago didn’t make things easier for the 22 year old, who completed 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. But Lance’s biggest blunder came during the game’s most crucial moment.
Down three points with about 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Lance threw a pass intended for Jennings near midfield. Bears safety Eddie Jackson read the play perfectly, picking it off in stride at midfield. The Bears went on to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession, but the three-point lead would’ve been enough.
San Francisco got the ball back twice before it was all said and done, but Lance could only muster 42 yards of offense in those possessions. In three fourth-quarter drives, the 49ers turned the ball over three tries with Lance’s INT and two consecutive turnover on downs.
Lance had a handful of impressive throws and added 54 rushing yards on 13 attempts to round out his day. But losing to a Bears team that went 6-11 last year isn’t up to par for a 49ers squad that reached the NFC Championship Game last season.
To his credit, Lance took ownership of his mistakes, but he had a positive outlook on it all in the end.
“I have a lot of stuff to clean up, for sure," Lance said. "But man, I'm excited. I've still got my head up. I'm excited to get ready to go next week."