By A to Z Sports,Mauricio Rodriguez

Copyright yardbarker

There was little doubt in the minds of Dallas Cowboys fans that fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue could rise as the team’s No. 2 running back following a strong training camp and preseason debut. With his explosiveness and speed, him taking over RB1 duties later in the season didn’t seem far-fetched, either. And then the Cowboys made him a healthy scratch in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, it was veteran Miles Sanders who played as the backup to starter Javonte Williams. Despite a 49-yard gain, Sanders’ outing was far from perfect. His big play would have been a touchdown had he not been caught from behind by a linebacker. Moments later, he fumbled in the red zone.So now, the question Schottenheimer is facing is what does Blue—who would have likely sped away from a linebacker to reach the endzone—need to do to get a chance? Head coach Brian Schottenheimer offered an answer Monday.

Schottenheimer explains why Jaydon Blue was inactive in Week 1

“It is consistency,” Schottenheimer said. “At the end of the day, young players, it hits at different times, and I’ll talk about Jaydon, he’s extremely talented. I mean, he really is talented, but there’s a way you have to perform, especially with a mantra of ‘Compete every day.’ I mean, if you’re not putting it out there and you’re not doing right every day and if you take a step back on a Thursday, maybe he did great on Wednesday on Thursday. I’m not saying he did, but that’s going to get noticed.”Earlier in the year, the Cowboys head coach admitted Blue struggled to pick up the scheme following a rumor that the rookie was “lazy” in the eyes of the coaching staff. That was refuted by multiple members of the team but him being inactive speaks to the fact that maybe he isn’t gameday ready.”You have to earn your chance to get out there,” Schottenheimer added. “It’s not because I was the first overall pick of the draft or whatever it is. Like there’s got to be consistency.”

Schottenheimer’s comments add intrigue to the situation. Had the coach said Blue needs to be better at pass pro or that he doesn’t know the full scheme yet, things would be clearer. But “consistency” can be about effort, execution, pass pro, or many other things. Hopefully, the rookie is able to overcome the hurdles he’s facing right now.

Will Blue debut in Week 2?

Schottenheimer didn’t offer any answer to the rookie’s status ahead of Week 2 and he’s unlikely to do so later in the week. However, I would argue Blue’s chances look promising. Sanders didn’t do enough to be “safe” in the season opener. And if the coaching staff was trying to send a message about consistency by making him a healthy scratch, it probably was received. No need to keep the more explosive player on the sidelines. The Cowboys will take on the New York Giants on their home opener next Sunday at noon CT.

window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === ‘resizeHeight’) {document.querySelector(‘#totalpoll-iframe-375’).height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector(‘#totalpoll-iframe-375’).contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: ‘requestHeight’}}, ‘*’)