Raiders 34, 49ers 7: Trey Lance sacked four times in rough return
Trey Lance’s return to action saw him sacked four times and throw a fortunate touchdown pass in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trey Lance’s first touchdown pass in 363 days did not find its intended recipient. Instead, it was nearly intercepted before bouncing into the sure hands of Ross Dwelley in the end zone.
Of course, this is a fantastic city to have your luck turn.
However, the 49ers require Lance to be both lucky and good. Otherwise, his potential job as Brock Purdy’s backup will go to Sam Darnold, who had a pedestrian debut after Lance’s shaky first-half performance against the Raiders on Sunday.
The 34-7 defeat was the most lopsided preseason defeat in coach Kyle Shanahan’s seven years.
The 49ers set this up to test Lance under pressure, and a sack-filled first half was somewhat predictable against a second-string offensive line. It was his first game since breaking and dislocating his right ankle on Sept. 18 at Levi’s Stadium. He was QB1 at the time, a position that the 49ers have since given to Brock Purdy.
Purdy’s return from elbow surgery is on track for a regular-season start against Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, so he did not play in Sunday’s game, nor did their other 21 projected starters.
There wasn’t much to cheer for the “visiting” fans with red-clad fans packed into Allegiant Stadium like the 49ers’ Jan. 1 victory here.
Lance was sacked four times, one of which he claimed he could have avoided if he had thrown away the ball.
“When there are a lot of sacks, the offensive line gets blamed too much,” Shanahan said. “… We’re always tough on our quarterbacks in our locker room. You try to think of every possible way to avoid taking the sack. However, you cannot simply avoid them by throwing picks. We’ll look into it and see what his chances were of getting those off, but I thought a couple he couldn’t and a couple he could have.”
Lance finished 10-of-15 for 112 yards and no interceptions, thanks to Raiders defenders dropping two passes, including the touchdown pass that cornerback Duke Shelley cut off and bobbled over to Dwelley. Shanahan praised Lance for going through his progressions before spotting his final option, Chris Conley, open.
“It was a yes, yes, no, yes,” Lance said of his opinion. “Dwelley made a fantastic play.” I didn’t think (Shelley) would get to it, but defense made a great play.”
“There was a gaping hole.” “It’s great that he noticed it and went for it,” Shanahan said. “I was relieved he attempted to rip it. There was a small window available. He could have put it closer to him, but the guy (Shelley) made a good play on it, and it worked out well for us.”
After halftime, Darnold took over for Lance and delivered a couple of impressive completions to get the 49ers into Raiders territory. Darnold’s drive came to an end when he was stopped on a fourth-and-1 sneak behind third-string center Keith Ismael.
Shanahan praised Darnold for doing “a great job” among the backups, the majority of whom will not make the roster next month. “We want to be cautious with Sam because of that, but we also want him to play,” Shanahan explained. “Hopefully, Sam will get a little more playing time next week (Saturday vs. Denver).”
“I feel like I managed things well,” Darnold, who previously played for the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers, said. “We just need to play better as a team.” We need to improve our offensive performance. As a quarterback, you put a lot of that on yourself.”
Lance’s rough re-entry into NFL action — three sacks, no first downs in three series — set the tone for the day before that touchdown pinball to Dwelley provided the points.
Lance appeared uneasy from the start. On the first snap of the game, he was stood up in the pocket and sacked by right guard Nick Zakelj, who was overpowered. The Raiders’ barrage continued series after series, which Lance blamed on “just miscommunication, guys on different pages.”
“That was definitely frustrating,” Lance added, “but I obviously put it on myself, to continue to get better and make sure guys are ready to go.”
Lance’s touchdown pass was fortunate, but his previous toss demonstrated the playmaking ability that landed him the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. He darted six paces up from the pocket on that pass before a last-second flip to Willie Snead for a 12-yard gain.
“Once I got out of the pocket,” Lance explained, “it was all improvised.” “Willie made a great play by keeping his eyes on me and continuing to work for me.”
More quality passes followed, including two-minute drill completions to Chris Conley and Troy Fumagalli, but they came after another near-interception, this time by linebacker Amari Burney, who anticipated and dropped Lance’s over-the-middle throw.
Darnold appeared to have more control, but he was snake-bit along the way. Darnold’s other drives ended with rookie Cameron Latu fumbling a reception and rookie Jake Moody missing a 58-yard field goal.
Darnold finished his day early in the fourth quarter, completing 5-of-8 passes for 84 yards. He was not sacked; instead, he wisely rolled out to avoid one pressure before tossing the ball away.
Brandon Allen took over for Darnold and threw a 20-yard pass that went through Bell’s hands for an interception that Sam Webb returned to the 2-yard line. The Raiders scored on the following play to take a 34-7 lead.
After the game, Allen boarded an overnight flight to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where his wife, Sarah, is due to give birth to the couple’s second son, Oakland, on Monday morning. “I’ll try to get back for Thursday’s practice and, if all goes well, be ready for the next game,” Allen said.
Other thoughts on the preseason opener:
— Isaiah Oliver, who was signed this offseason to replace Jimmie Ward at nickel back, was the lone starter to suit up, and he allowed a 9-yard touchdown pass 34 seconds before halftime. That nickel role is crucial because it exposes a weak link that quarterbacks will exploit against a strong pass rush, with the slot receiver frequently being the closest target to unload the ball.
— Moody, a third-round draft pick, made an unimpressive first impression. He missed a 40-yard field goal attempt wide left as the first half ended, and he pushed a 58-yard attempt wide right in the fourth quarter. “A lot of good learning experiences in a first game,” said Moody. “I washed it already.” I was hoping for another (attempt) to show that those were flukes.” Shanahan expressed faith in the rookie, citing his stellar performance in practice and acknowledging the pressure that comes with so much attention.
— Clelin Ferrell, a Raiders first-round pick in 2019, had a tackle for no gain on the first defensive series and a sack against Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders’ starting quarterback in place of ex-49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who suited up but did not play. The 49ers’ captains were Ferrell, Lance, and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
— Not only did Latu fumble a third-quarter reception, but he also committed two penalties.
— Ty Davis-Price led the team with nine carries (32 yards), while Jordan Mason had five (17 yards). Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell (adductor) did not wear their uniforms.
— The San Francisco 49ers return home after a five-night stay in Las Vegas. Their final two preseason games will be played at Levi’s Stadium on August 19 against the Denver Broncos (5:30 p.m.) and August 25 against the Los Angeles Chargers (7 p.m.).
— Before being relieved by Cal product Chase Garbers, O’Connell completed 15-of-18 passes for 141 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
