Glaring Trey Lance weakness on full display in Cowboys' first preseason game

Trey Lance didn't get the start for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Lance was widely expected to get the lion's share of the snaps, and sure enough he subbed in after Cooper Rush led the offense to a field goal on the Cowboys' first possession.

This was Lance's first game action with the Cowboys since he was acquired last August in a trade with the 49ers. Even though Lance has been a full participant in training camp, some rust and jitters were to be expected.

It has been a mixed-bag performance from Lance, who did well to get rid of the football and avoid sacks. The former No. 3 overall pick had a nice scramble on 2nd and 10 for a first down (all thanks to Tyler Guyton). On another play, which received praise from Rams head coach Sean McVay, Lance escaped a collapsed pocket and completed a pass on the run.

Lance has two more preseason games to prove he deserves to backup Dak Prescott. If he is to do that, though, he needs to clean up a weakness that has cropped up during training camp.

Trey Lance lacks accuracy in red zone in Cowboys first preseason game

Multiple Cowboys reporters have noted that Lance has been inconsistent in the red zone during camp. That reared its ugly head on Sunday.

On 4th and 1 from the three-yard line, Lance had the dreaded double whammy. He had an open receiver in Jalen Cropper but took too long to get the ball out. Needing a perfect throw to make up for lost time, Lance overthrew Cropper by some five yards. He didn't give his receiver a chance.

Lance needed to put more touch on the pass. It's been reported throughout training camp that Lance has lacked finesse and accuracy on his throws, particularly in scoring areas. His accuracy, or lack thereof, showed up outside the red zone as well.

While Lance's passes are accurate enough to be caught, a lot of them aren't accurate enough for receivers to do much after the catch. It's a small detail, but those make all the difference. The Cowboys have a glut of shifty receivers who can make plays with the ball in their hands. Not capitalizing on that when it's there for the taking is a serious missed opportunity.

While Lance's red zone struggles are by far the biggest takeaway (or concern) from his Cowboys preseason debut, he has a long way to go in other aspects as well. He wasn't poor by any stretch, but fans aren't wrong to be left wanting more from the 24-year-old.

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