With Jimmy Garoppolo out, can Trey Lance lead 49ers to the playoffs?

All eyes will be on quarterback Trey Lance this weekend, as he’s expected to start due to Jimmy Garoppolo dealing with a thumb injury. 

Winners of two of their last three contests, the San Francisco 49ers are 8-7 on the year and they’re hoping to sneak into the playoffs. Well, things have been made a bit complicated for them, as Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing with a thumb injury and he’s not expected to play on Sunday.

If Garoppolo does miss the matchup with Houston, first-round pick Trey Lance will make his second-career start. In a must-win game, will the No. 3 overall pick be able to get the job done for Kyle Shanahan?

Jimmy Garoppolo thumb injury will open the door for Trey Lance to start

On the season, Lance has thrown for 354 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His lone start came on Oct. 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. In that loss, Lance tossed for 157 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He did add 89 rushing yards, though.

In extensive time vs. the Seahawks the week before, Lance finished with 157 passing yards and two touchdowns, adding 41 hashes on the ground. Fortunately for San Francisco, they’ll be hosting the lowly Texans in Week 17, which could help Lance record a memorable performance.

In Week 18, though, they’ll meet the mighty Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco really needs to come out on top of both these games if they want to grab an NFC Wild Card spot. Garoppolo could return to face the Rams, as he’s trying to battle through the pain.

With that said, it’ll be on Lance to get the job done this Sunday. San Francisco will be taking things one game at a time. With his dual-threat abilities, Lance sure has what it takes to help his team get a victory. We’ll see how things shape out vs. the Texans.