Oakland Raiders: With Jacoby Ford on IR, Team Will Turn to Rookie Rod Streeter Against Dolphins

By Kris Knox
Senior Writer

The Oakland Raiders enter Sundays game against the Miami Dolphins looking to bounce back from a disappointing Week 1 loss on Monday Night Football.

Unfortunately, the Raiders will be forced to take the field Sunday–and for the rest of the season–without one of the team’s brightest young stars.

Wide receiver Jacoby Ford, who also missed the opening game against San Diego, was placed on season-ending injured reserve (IR) on Saturday with a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. This is the second consecutive season Ford has suffered the injury.

Under the NFL’s new injured reserve rules, the Raiders have the option of designating one player sent to IR for return after eight weeks. However, Oakland decided to designate cornerback Ron Bartell for that opportunity, meaning Ford is officially done for the year.

Despite hauling in just 19 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown in 2011, Ford was expected to play a large role in Oakland’s offense this season.

With the third-year receiver now sidelined, the Raiders are likely to turn to undrafted rookie Rod Streeter to help add some firepower to the passing game.

Streeter, who was signed as a free agent out of Temple, has showed flashes of his ability in the preseason, gaining 165 yards on 18 receptions. He also snagged Oakland’s only touchdown reception against the Chargers in Week 1.

However, Streeter also made his fair share of rookie mistakes against San Diego. Streeter managed to catch just four passes for 27 yards, despite being targeted on 10 different attempts. He also lost a fumble and was caught on the field when he wasn’t supposed to be, which resulted in a penalty for having 12 men on the field.

It is important, though, to take into account Streeter’s rookie status before faulting him too much for his debut struggles. Playing against a bitter division rival in front of a nationally televised audience would make for a challenging debut for any player.

If Streeter can continue to grow in the Raiders offense, and learn to limit his mistakes, expect him to emerge as another dynamic target for quarterback Carson Palmer.

However, Streeter had better get to work quickly, because the Raiders cannot afford to fall behind early in the AFC West divisional race, and will be counting on the rookie to pick up the slack left behind by Ford.

Follow Kris on Twitter: @Kris_Knox

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