FRISCO – Maybe it’s Trey Lance’s fault. After all, his flashes of ability are part of a summer-long swirl that include dips into ineptitude … so sure, it’s possible even the most astute NFL observer might be confused.
Because, man, is Robert Griffin III confused.
The Dallas Cowboys 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason finale on Saturday was pockmarked by Lance’s five interceptions, a valid sign that the former 49ers first-round pick, traded to Dallas a year ago, simply isn’t ready for prime time.
That’s not a harsh criticism; it’s an obvious one … except, it seems, to RGIII, himself a former mobile QB who is offering a confounding analysis of Lance’s performance.
“Watched the tape back on Trey Lance,” Griffin III tweeted. “Trey Lance has NFL Superstar level playmaking ability with Blockbuster level decision making. If you said he was the replacement for Dak Prescott, go ahead and deactivate your account. The 5 [INTs] were bad and showed he is in the wrong offense.”
With no disrespect toward RGIII (we generally enjoy his stuff), let’s break this down into three bites. …
1. Lance has “superstar playmaking ability … but the five interceptions were bad.” We’re with you, RGIII.
2. Anyone who ever thought he “was the replacement for Dak Prescott” is not a serious football watcher.
3. “The wrong offense.” Wait. What?
The Cowboys have not asked Lance to do anything extraordinary in coach Mike McCarthy’s scheme, which is a version of the West Coast Offense. In fact, a few weeks ago, McCarthy said Lance has “mastered” the mental part of this offense.
The West Coast Offense has been wildly successful for mobile QBs, which Lane certainly is.
But more than that: Let’s say Griffin is right, that there is somehow some magical offensive scheme that would unleash Lance’s “superstar” brilliance. Does he expect the Cowboys to dump their established “Texas Coast Offense” – in which Dak Prescott last year led Dallas to being the No. 1 scoring team in the NFL – for the preseason … so Lance can be showcased in a special “Trey Lance Offense”?
A special “Trey Lance Offense” designed on the fly, for the preseason only, to help the third-string QB look good?
Three silly words: “The. Wrong. Offense.” … and suddenly, RGIII makes it look like he finds football to be very, very confusing.
