Trey Lance Has Quiet Showing vs. Texans as 49ers' O-Line Gets Criticized on Twitter

All eyes were on one man for the San Francisco 49ers during Thursday's preseason game against the Houston Texans.

This is Trey Lance's team now after San Francisco traded up to select him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

While he will ultimately be judged by what he does in the regular season, Thursday was an opportunity to build on his impressive showing in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers when he went 4-of-5 for 92 yards and one touchdown.

He didn't seize his chance.

San Francisco didn't put a single point on the board during Lance's three drives, punting twice and then failing to convert a fourth-down attempt. The second-year signal-caller went 7-of-11 passing for 49 yards and largely relied on underneath routes and checkdowns.

Part of the problem was the offensive line, as some on social media pointed out:

Lance spent much of his evening scrambling out of the pocket and dealing with pressure from Houston's defensive front. While there are plenty of playmakers around him in the 49ers offense who could thrive in a quick-hit offense to alleviate some of that pressure, it was surely a concerning sign in the preseason finale.

If San Francisco doesn't clean up some of the protection issues, Lance may struggle in the season opener on Sept. 11 against the Chicago Bears.