Sunday was an up-and-down day for Trey Lance and the 49ers’ offense. On some plays, we saw the freakish athleticism that has optimists dreaming of a dynamic playmaker, while on others, we saw the inconsistency that has pessimists worried about long-term production. Basically, if you want Trey Lance to play, you were encouraged; if you fall into Jimmy Garoppolo’s corner, you were discouraged.
Kyle Shanahan was asked after the game if he will consider making a change at quarterback beyond this week.
“No. Nothing’s changed. That was just one game. That was a tough loss right there. I’m going to talk to our whole team tomorrow and think of how we can get our whole team better coming back from the bye.”
Kyle also said that he hoped Jimmy Garoppolo would be ready after the bye week but didn’t want to say anything too definitive for now, considering how George Kittle’s calf injury took a turn for the worse.
For what it’s worth, after the game, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco added this:
“Even though [Kyle Shanahan has] been steadfast in Jimmy Garoppolo’s corner, I think it’s a really difficult thing now to go back to Garoppolo because Trey Lance showed so much. The versatility he brings rushing for 89 yards, throwing for 192. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. He missed some throws, no question about it. But just seeing what the floor now is for him. We know the ceiling is high, but if that’s the worst effort you’re going to get from Trey Lance as he’s learning the NFL game - you can win a lot of football games with that. I think Kyle Shanahan is going to be really scrutinized for this decision of what he does at quarterback. He’s gonna get a lot of flack if he goes back to Jimmy Garoppolo and doesn’t give Trey Lance an extended run.”
We’ll have to see if Shanahan feels differently after he goes back and watches the film. Maiocco gave no indication if the flack Shanahan would get was going to come from fans of the team or players in the locker room (or ownership). I know many people - inside and outside of the organization - will be watching the situation closely.
For more on Sunday’s loss, as well as what Trey Lance thought of his own performance, check out today’s 49ers in Five Podcast!
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