49ers’ Trey Lance unleashes zone-read runs, draws Josh Allen comparison
SANTA CLARA — No wonder Kyle Shanahan was excited to see how Trey Lance responded from Sunday’s sub-par practice.
The 49ers’ offense looked at full tilt Tuesday.
Lance not only completed most of his passes (14-of-19) and hit receivers in stride, he ran with flair in this camp’s most zone-read snaps, showcasing the dual-threat talents that have made him Jimmy Garoppolo’s successor in Year 2.
That multi-faceted offense is what Shanahan wants to see, and it surely appeased Lance’s parents, who were in from Minnesota to watch from the VIP section.
It also reminded wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud of what he saw from Josh Allen as they began their careers with the Buffalo Bills in 2018, as well as the step Allen took ahead of his second year.
“It gives me that same type of energy, that I”m-ready-to-take-the-next step’ energy,” McCloud said. “Watching Trey every day being a leader and watching the offense as a whole, and getting guys where they need to be, it’s great watching him practice.”
What will 49ers fans see this preseason from Lance and the offense? Well, Lance and select starters will suit up for Friday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium, but, if all goes according to Shanahan’s plan, they’ll skip the Aug. 20 game at the Vikings before making cameos in the Aug. 25 preseason finale at Houston.
Shanahan termed Sunday’s session as “rough” for Lance (4-of-12, one interception) but that camp was otherwise going as expected, with a hopeful eye for Tuesday’s encore.
Sure enough, this practice arguably was Lance’s best this camp. He also had a strong showing Saturday, so it’s been inconsistent. The biggest tests await next week when the 49ers hold joint scrimmages against the host Vikings. Those will offer more reps than the ensuing preseason game.
Tuesday’s full-team drills opened with with the obligatory handoff to Elijah Mitchell before Lance went to work with a full complement of fellow starters, something that’s been a rarity this camp.
A pair of completions to favorite target Brandon Aiyuk were followed by a long-sought connection with Deebo Samuel. Lance spread the passing wealth. He also completed passes to Mitchell, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Kyle Juszczyk, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Ty Davis-Price.
Soon, Lance went on the run, in designed fashion, for a 5-yard touchdown sprint up the spine of the field. Later, Lance raced for a 65-yard touchdown with the help of a Samuel block far down field.
Now, the 49ers’ offense wasn’t downright fooling the defense to level this camp’s competition, not when Nick Bosa and others repeatedly penetrated the pocket and generated a couple of sacks.
One unique aspect of practice was Lance remaining in to take the first snap with the second-string unit, giving him not only extra time but more familiarity with backups, several of whom he played with on the scout team last season.
WILSON’S BIG RUNS
Breakaway or blazing-fast runs have been a rare sight in camp from any of the six running backs. Wilson, the most veteran back of the bunch, reminded everyone of his capabilities. Wilson powered through traffic for two big runs, plus he also had an acrobatic catch and made a key block to buy Lance time to throw.
Wilson is listed second on the depth chart behind Mitchell, followed by Trey Sermon, JaMycal Hasty, Ty Davis-Price and Jordan Mason.
HEALTH CENTER
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has an unknown ailment and was limited to individual conditioning. Also rehabilitating on the side were defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Hassan Ridgeway.
VIP OBSERVERS
Among those on hand to watch were former 49ers tackle Joe Staley, team owner Dr. John York, and YouTube star Dr. DisRespect.