Practice makes perfect.
And despite the seeming monotony and high risk involved with NFL preseason games, they’re a must when it comes to preparing for the regular season.
Really, it’s just like golf if you ask 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
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He didn’t take pleasure in putting first-year starting quarterback Trey Lance under center Thursday night in a game that won’t affect the team’s record. However, preseason playing time is a necessity -- just like those extra swings taken before hitting the links.
“I’m nervous watching everyone on those drives, not just the quarterback … I’m just glad that we made it out of it [without injuries],” Shanahan told reporters after the 49ers’ 17-0 loss to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. “It’s a fine line for everything. That’s why preseason is important, but it’s also something that -- I compare it to the driving range.
“Whatever happens there doesn’t really matter, but you need to do it to get better, too.”
Practicing a chip shot at your local municipal golf course might not quite measure up to the bright lights of a preseason football game. But in the end, the goal is the same: Improving every aspect of your game for the real thing.
With just 71 regular-season passes in the NFL under his belt, Lance needed all the preparation he could get as the 49ers finished up the preseason with Thursday’s loss.
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On Sept. 11, Lance will take the field as QB1 for the first time in a game that actually counts when the 49ers visit the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
Despite some up-and-down moments across training camp and in his 22 snaps during the preseason finale, there have been plenty of bright spots for San Francisco when it comes to their 22-year-old quarterback -- one of which was a 76-yard touchdown pass in the 49ers’ first preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers.
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Lance was able to get in plenty of solid work over the last month while avoiding injury, allowing Shanahan to let out a sigh of relief worthy of a back-nine hole out surrounded by sand traps.
“You’re always a little bit nervous, but we got through it,” Shanahan said. “And I think that will help him in the long run.”