Before the season began, Jon Gruden raved about how the Oakland Raiders expected Josh Jacobs to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. To get him more touches, Gruden said that he wants to get Jacobs more involved in Oakland's passing attack.

The Raiders were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday 34-14 to fall to 1-2 on the season. Among the reasons they lost, their rookie rusher carried it just 10 times for 44 yards on the day.

Along with his rushing woes, Oakland has done a less-than-stellar job of getting Jacobs incorporated into their passing offense. In three games this season, the rookie out of Alabama has been targeted just three times; catching one pass for 10 yards.

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After losing their second consecutive game, Gruden is searching for ways to get back into the win column. One way to improve their offensive production is to get the ball into Jacobs' hands more often.

At Alabama, Jacobs showed that he could be a receiving threat in an NFL offense with 48 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns in his three years in college. Therefore, it is quite alarming that the Raiders have shied away from targeting him in passing situations.

When you select a running back in the first round, the belief is that he can handle a large workload. As the Raiders have gotten into double-digit deficits in the past two weeks, Jacobs was no longer part of the offense as they attempted to make a comeback.

With that being said, look for Oakland to use their first-round pick more as a receiver moving forward this season.