Why the Cowboys' plan with Trey Lance isn't working

After the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11, head coach Mike McCarthy expressed regret that he didn’t give more playing time to backup quarterback Trey Lance. With Dak Prescott out for the season, Cooper Rush has been the Cowboys’ designated starter, but with the season in the dumps, many fans called on the team to give Lance a chance.

So heading into their Week 12 game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, McCarthy said he planned to keep Rush as the starter but use Lance in certain packages. But a comment from Lance about practices made it clear that he’d be used in a pretty limited role - an understatement...but we’ll get there.

“It’s been pretty typical - obviously [Rush] is taking the reps,” Lance said before the Week 12 game. “I get the majority of the scout team. Bringing Will [Grier] in has been a great addition to the room as well.”

What that hinted was that the Cowboys would maybe use Lance in red zone situations or short-yardage situations. Well, here’s how that played out against Washington on Sunday, and why it isn’t working.

Cowboys’ Trey Lance “package” needs adjusting

Cooper Rush’s starting role does not look to be in danger after a much-improved performance and a win against the Commanders. It wasn’t a perfect game, but Rush completed 75% of his passes with no turnovers and finished with 247 yards and two touchdowns in the 34-26 win.

Trey Lance played exactly two snaps, and here’s how those went. The first was in the 3rd quarter on a 1st and goal. He was tackled by Commanders’ defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton for a 3-yard loss. Dallas put Rush back in and he made a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.

Lance’s only other play of the game was in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys were on the Commanders’ 35-yard line at 1st and 10. Lance handed the ball off to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb who gained one yard, and Lance was immediately taken off the field again.

There are two problems with this strategy. First of all, with so few snaps, Lance has no time to get into any kind of groove. Then, the opposing team can see it coming right away, so it’s not exactly difficult to stop. If the Cowboys are going to implement some kind of Trey Lance package, they need to be, let’s say, “all in”. Otherwise, there’s no unpredictability, and basically, no point.

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