Quarterback stats in training camp are sometimes interesting, but they can certainly be misleading with the context of a practice varying so much on every play. Still, they’re worth at least taking a look at to see if any patterns emerge. Numbers in practice vary, but we’re going to use the states charted by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner because of an interesting observation he made about Trey Lance.
Lance was the first QB to get reps for the 49ers on Wednesday in their first training camp practice. Wagoner had him down as four-for-five during the session. Sam Darnold, who’s battling with Lance for the backup QB job, was two-for-four with one of his incompletions coming via a drop from RB Jordan Mason.
Wagoner noted something about Lance though that means far more than any numbers in a padless practice. Wagoner tweeted, “Lance was decisive in team drills after some misfires in individual.”
This is a good, albeit small, step forward for Lance after he struggled for much of last year’s training camp. Misfires in individual drills mean much less if he’s going to be more accurate in the team portion.
While a Day 1 development isn’t going to paint an entire picture, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on as the practices and preseason churn on. If Lance continues to improve and elevate his play while going against a defense, it would likely win him the backup QB job and lead to some increased confidence from the team in their former No. 3 overall pick.
