Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged after Monday night’s 34-10 loss to the Texans that he should have given backup quarterback Trey Lance a chance to run the offense.

McCarthy said he should have taken out quarterback Cooper Rush so Lance could show what he is capable of.

“I think ultimately the one thing I should have done, and I just didn’t, was put Trey in there. I could have gotten him a series. That’s something I would second guess myself about,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t feel like letting him play a few times because in my opinion he is more than a gadget player. We had him prepared for a series, and honestly, I should have given him that series in the end, and I regret not doing so.

The 49ers drafted Lance with the third overall pick in 2021, making him one of the least experienced college quarterbacks ever to be a high draft pick. He barely played in San Francisco and has barely played in Dallas. At some point, it might make sense for the Cowboys to give him a chance to show what he can do. Maybe that point will come Sunday in Washington.