In his first home start of the season, Trey Lance receives guides the 49ers to a 23-7 win over the Houston Texans. Although the Niners were off to a rough start, they managed to pick it up to dominate their rival in the end. This has often been the repeating scenario for San Francisco this season.
In what many believed to be an ‘easy matchup’, the Niners had to overcome some adversity to take the win today. With starting Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out for the game, the ‘faithful’ were split on whether or not Lance was ready.
Rough Start For Lance
The first half was truly a roller coaster of emotions for the San Francisco 49ers. As many expected, Rookie QB Trey Lance would only run the ball in the first quarter. The defense did their part as the Texans only managed to get one first down in the first quarter.
Second quarter began and Trey started throwing the ball more. Nevertheless, the rookie’s passing inaccuracy led to an interception. The Texans took advantage of this to score the only touchdown of the first half.
But during the dying moments of the second quarter, Lance and Aiyuk joined forces to avoid ending the half empty handed. The two offensive players took the ball down to Houston’s half to ultimately set up Robbie Gould for a field goal.
(Another) Second Half Turnaround
The Niners needed a bit of luck to overcome their first half adversity. The Football Gods heard the Niners’ prayers as an interception and a pass and interference call led them to their first touchdown of the game. Trey Lance found Elijah Mitchell with a short pass to put the Niners up 10-7.
This luck continued as the Texans missed a 45-yard field goal attempt to keep the score 10-7. The Texans would regret this as in the next drive, Trey Lance found Deebo Samuel for a 45-yard touchdown. This ultimately extended San Francisco’s lead to 10 points over Houston.
From that point, the game was under Shanahan’s control. Things seemed out of reach for Houston as their biggest yard gain in the second half was through a pass and interference call. San Francisco’s defense stepped up to limit Davis Mills and his offense. Robbie Gould’s late-field goal wrapped up the game 23-7.
Final Thoughts
Fans will go home today content with the rookie’s performance. Although it wasn’t his best display, Trey Lance kept improving as the game went on.
Although playoffs aren’t fully secured as of right now, the Niners took a big step forward today. The Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers prevented Shanahan’s men from clinching playoffs. A San Francisco win over the Rams and/or a New Orleans loss would secure them a spot in the wildcard this season.
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