10 AFC predictions for Week 1 of 2018 NFL season

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OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

1. Oakland will be embarrassed in primetime

The Oakland Raiders’ mishandling of the Khalil Mack situation was completely avoidable financially, even if the team is cash-strapped. Signing bad or average players to above-market deals over the last few years when they knew they’d have to reward Mack was gross incompetence. And then head coach Jon Gruden put the cherry on top by trading Mack instead of sitting down with him and hammering out even a short-term arrangement to get him back on the field.

The return for Mack wasn’t nearly as good as it was originally reported, as the Raiders gave up a second-round pick and Mack in order to get two firsts and a third-rounder. It’d be easier to be optimistic about the return if they were more successful drafting, but Gruden’s track record of picks is pathetic.

Next: Best NFL player from each state

Set to square off against the Los Angeles Rams Monday night, the Raiders are going to struggle to stop any offense, let alone an elite one. They have no proven talent on defense, forcing Gareon Conley, Arden Key, and Maurice Hurst to do the heavy-lifting. That’s a recipe for primetime hot takes to be made at the Raiders’ expense.