Twitter reacts to Trey Lance’s performance against the Raiders

Yesterday’s preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the opening game for the 49ers elicited some strong responses among the NFL world and the 49ers fan base.

Across the board, the 49ers struggled (without starters) with just a few bright spots, but that didn’t stop fans, analysts, and pundits from sharing their strong opinions.

Let’s begin with Trey Lance’s day. Looking at Lance’s stat line of 10/15, 112 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, and 111.0 passer rating would imply Lance was sharp and decisive in his only half of play.

While there is no doubt that Lance improved as the second-string offensive line played better and the game went along, those stats are not indicative of Lance’s play and struggles on Sunday.

Let’s look at some of the reactions on Twitter or X or whatever it's called:

Rich Gannon is a color commentator for the Raiders and a former MVP. It’s hard to disagree with Gannon, as many of Lance’s completions were designed layups off play action or on bootlegs.

Lance needs reps and time, but this can be classified as an overreaction, right?

Dan Orvlosky’s assessment certainly falls under the overreaction category. Lance’s small sample size is nowhere near the amount to have “seen enough.”

Lance’s lone touchdown pass from Sunday is the prime example of why results don’t explain the process. The throw and timing are a poor process, but the touchdown ends up in the hands of Ross Dwelley. Again, this looks great in the box score, but not a sound process, at all.

There are still flashes in the young man’s game. This is an absolute strike to Chris Conley for a long third-down conversion. Lance’s flashes have to turn into consistency, especially given the preseason will be his only chance to showcase his growth.

Lance will always have strong opinions surrounding his game. Being the number three overall pick and being selected by a franchise with such a rich history of quarterback play will do that. Is it fair? Probably not. Is it the truth? Absolutely.