Cowboys' Mike McCarthy 'Really Liked' Trey Lance's Command During Rams Preseason Game

Trey Lance made his Dallas Cowboys debut on Sunday a year after being traded to the team from the San Francisco 49ers.

The 2021 No. 3 overall pick completed 25 of his 41 passes to record 188 passing yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also added 44 yards on the ground on six attempts and was sacked three times.

Despite the 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had high praise for Lance.

"I really liked his command," McCarthy said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "Frankly, I tried to ... take advantage of every situation that we were in, so those fourth-down snaps, those will pay dividends in the future. I do believe that."

McCarthy also said he believed Lance was making "good progress."

"Trying to get as much as I can with him," McCarthy said, per Archer. "You want to see him running the offense at a high level. The footwork and some of the things we're asking him to do conceptually are new. We just need work. We just need as much time as we can. I know I say that every time I talk about him, but he's making good progress. He's definitely wired the right way. He's a great athlete. Just a lot of work to do."

While Lance couldn't find the endzone on Sunday, he led the Cowboys down the field multiple times, putting them in prime position for field goals. The potential is clearly there for Lance, but he still has some development to do.

He'll look to do so this season while playing behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Lance is still battling for the backup quarterback spot with Cooper Rush, who played that role last year, but his performance on Sunday seemed to impress McCarthy enough.

If he can put together solid performances in preseason, Lance could be firmly in the QB2 spot when the regular season begins.