'Spy Games! Does Dallas Cowboys' Trey Lance Have 'Inside Info' to Beat San Francisco 49ers?
Outside of some quarterbacking catastrophe, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance was not supposed to help move the needle this year.
He was acquired via trade from the San Francisco 49ers this summer for a fourth-round pick - not too shabby for a third-string quarterback, but a woefully disappointing return on investment for a former third-overall pick.
Now, he’ll have a chance to get some revenge on the team that ultimately picked quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold over him.
trey Lance and Dak Prescott
Dallas will visit San Francisco for a Sunday Night Football showcase between rare non-division rivals. The history of these two organizations speaks for itself, but the 49ers’ undoing of the Cowboys’ playoff hopes in back-to-back years has drawn the attention of the football world.
It’s not uncommon for teams to poach practice-squad players from their upcoming opponents for a chance at some inside intel. ... as exaggerated as the importance of doing so may be. Just in case, though? The Cowboys won’t need to do that; they have Lance.
“Trey knows a little bit about what they’re doing,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “The cool thing is, like I said, the [Cowboys] know them well, I know them well from being in Seattle, Trey knows them well.”
Lance takes a snap with his former team, the 49ers.
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Again, is this information ever enough to knock a point off a spread? Not really. But in a game that figures to be so tightly-contested, maximizing one’s edge is a must. If the Cowboys feel Lance has something to offer, he’ll get the chance to share it.
Schottenheimer compared it to last week, when former Cowboys Will Grier and Ezekiel Elliott returned to town, theoretically being able to help the New England Patriots out. As the 38-3 score suggests, their input was inconsequential.
“Like last week, it’s kind of in good fun and humor,” Schottenheimer said. “We all use pieces that we have, but we don’t go too far into it … We’ll definitely talk to Trey.”
It feels irresponsible to not ask Lance for information, but everyone in the building knows it won’t be some small schematic hint or hand signal that wins this game for either side.
Sunday’s clash between two of the three best teams in the NFC (sorry, Detroit and Seattle) will come down to the guys that are on the field.
Can quarterback Dak Prescott navigate the pressure San Francisco can bring with just four rushers? Will 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense tie Dallas’ back seven in knots?
Overcoming the obstacle that is San Francisco means relying on star players to perform like their reputation suggests. Another failure against the 49ers is unacceptable, though, and the Cowboys know it. They’ll take a win by any means necessary.
