San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance completed 16-of-23 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns in his first start at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers defeated the Houston Texans 23-7, with Lance’s counterpart, fellow rookie Davis Mills from Stanford, having only 98 passing yards entering the final minutes of garbage time, finishing with 163 yards.
Lance, the No. 3 overall draft pick, benefitted from stellar showings by Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Elijah Mitchell, George Kittle, and, most helpful, the 49ers’ defense, which turned things around on Marcell Harris’ third-quarter interception.
Unlike his 16-carry onslaught in losing his starting debut Oct. 10 at Arizona, Lance did not run all that much, carrying eight times for 31 yards.
“Besides the bad interception, he protected the ball real well and that was a big thing going into this game,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He was very efficient. The play at the end (Samuel’s touchdown) was huge, and, for the most part, he made good decisions throwing the ball.”
Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman contributed to this report.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) waves to the fans as he leaves the field after their 23-7 win over the Houston Texans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) throws the ball against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) evades a sack against Houston Texans’ DeMarcus Walker (55) in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) celebrates his touchdown pass with San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (19) and San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (85) in the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) throws against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) leaves the field after their 23-7 win over the Houston Texans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) throws against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) scrambles against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) celebrates with San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (19) after a touchdown against Houston Texans in the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) hands the ball off to San Francisco 49ers’ Elijah Mitchell (25) against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) celebrates his touchdown throw with San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk (44) against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance (5) hugs San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo (10) during warmups before their game against the Houston Texans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
