Updated 10.25
AS I HOBBLE towards middle age with dodgy knees and a receding hairline, my love for Neil Young has increased as exponentially as my waistline.
While this is in clear defiance of the rule that all middle-aged white guys must love Bruce Springsteen, Young is like a security blanket.
Feeling happy; stick on some Crazy Horse. Feeling sad; pop on something from the Harvest era. There’s a song for every occasion.
This week, I happened to be listening to After The Gold Rush in my car as my phone started buzzing in my pocket. And it buzzed. And buzzed. Notification after notification coming through unchecked.
Part of me assumed it was the news I’d been waiting for all summer. Now that it was September, the Raiders had ended their posturing and signed Khalil Mack to the lAfter all deal he deserved. After all, that’s what a functional NFL franchise would do.
However, as you now know, the reason for all the notifications were because the Raiders had actually traded Mack and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears for their first-round picks in 2019 and 2020.
Over the course of the rest of the evening, I went through four of the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. This pattern repeated itself throughout the day.
I genuinely don’t remember ever being so angry about a sporting decision. I was hurt and I lashed out, sending some tweets I’ll probably regret if I ever reach the acceptance stage.
It’s not that the Raiders were going to be Super Bowl contenders this year, but Mack is the kind of once-in-a-generation pass rusher you build a team around. Yes, he wanted a lot of money, but he deserved it. Oakland is a significantly better football team with him on the field.
I should have expected it, of course. in 20-odd years supporting the Raiders, they’ve given me the grand total of two seasons I would class as enjoyable. That’s as many good years as cities they’ve played in during my fandom.
Add to that the fact they’ve just given a 10-year, $100m contract to a coach who was out of the game for a decade, and you realise that good front-office decisions are not a strength.
So while week one should be a time of hope, of excitement, of some semblance of an impression that the time and money you spend on the team you support are worth it — this year, for me, it’s instead a stark reminder of how frustrating being a fan can be.
And as much as I love Neil Young, he’s wrong that only love can break your heart. Sport does a much better job of it.
Sunday – 6pm
Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)
The Bills will start Nathan Peterman at quarterback in this game — a man who threw five picks in his only NFL start.
The sad thing is that he’s probably the right choice, and that gives you some idea of the season Buffalo fans have in store for themselves.
Pick: Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) @ New York Giants
We know how good the Jacksonville defence is. We’re told how good the Giants offence can be. This could be a great game.
But in Blake Bortles and Eli Manning, we’ve got two of the biggest question marks at quarterback in the league and they could turn this game into a bit of a mess.
Pick: Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints (-9.5)
This is a huge spread for a divisional game, even if the Bucs are without their starting quarterback.
I’ve a lot of time for the Saints this season and this game will be a decent test of whether or not the defence has recovered from that play against Minnesota which ended their 2017 campaign.
Pick: Saints
Houston Texans @ New England Patriots (-6.5)
Few teams come into this season as hyped as the Houston Texans. A lot of that is to do with the return of Deshaun Watson who showed such promise in his handful of appearances last year.
The Patriots, as ever, remain the team to beat in the AFC, however.
Pick: Patriots
San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings (-6.5)
Jimmy Garoppolo will be facing one of the best defences in the league without the support of his rookie running back and not much in the way of other offensive weapons.
The loss of Pat Shurmur and addition of Kirk Cousins could see some teething problems for Minnesota’s offence, too. This may be a low-scoring affair.
Pick: Vikings
Tennessee Titans (-1) @ Miami Dolphins
Marcus Mariota didn’t look too comfortable in Matt LaFleur’s new offence during preseason but that was with a very limited pitch count.
The Dolphins welcome back Ryan Tannehill at quarterback but they still feel like a team with more questions than answers.
Pick: Titans
Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
Andrew Luck is back for the Colts, but we’ve no idea how his shoulder is going to stand up to the demands of a real NFL game. The Bengals are probably being underrated this year — by myself as much as anyone — but they should have enough to take this on the road.
Pick: Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers (-4) @ Cleveland Browns
The thing about not winning a single game last season is that the Browns can’t be any worse in 2018. Seriously, though, they should be a 6-8 win team this season.
One of those victories won’t come against the Steelers, however, even if Pittsburgh is missing Le’Veon Bell who, as of Thursday, still wasn’t turning up to training.
Pick: Steelers
Sunday – 9.05pm
Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5)
Both these teams will be playing playoff football in 2018 and this could even be an early preview of the AFC championship game.
The Chiefs have a brilliant record against fellow AFC West teams but the Chargers have a chance to make an early statement.
Pick: Chargers
Sunday – 9.25pm
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos (-3)
Case Keenum makes his first start for a Denver outfit that really has struggled with the quarterback position since before Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset to open a raft of pizza joints.
Seattle are one of the hardest teams to figure out this season but this will be an interesting test.
Pick: Broncos
Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers (-3)
This is one of the most intriguing match-ups of the weekend as anything from a defensive chess match to an offensive shootout is possible.
When the Panthers have a good season under Cam Newton, a down year usually follows. This will be a decent indicator if that trend is set to continue.
Pick: Panthers
Washington @ Arizona Cardinals (-1)
I keep being told that the Cardinals are a much better team this year than the one we watched in 2017 but I’m just not seeing it.
Yes, they welcome back the supremely talented David Johnson, but it’s not enough. Alex Smith is the new QB in town for Washington and will get his first win in this game.
Pick: Washington
Monday – 1.20am
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers (-7.5)
Suddenly, with the arrival of Mack, the Chicago Bears have a defence that can go from top 10 to top three and you can be certain the former Raider (that stings) will be keen to make a big impression.
Aaron Rodgers has a couple of Super Bowl runs left in him; why not this season?
Pick: Packers
Tuesday – 12.10am
New York Jets at Detroit Lions (-6.5)
The only rookie quarterback to start in week one, Sam Darnold is being put in a tough position — on the road on Monday Night Football. The Lions have serious playoff hopes and, given the strength of their division, will need to take full advantage of games like this one.
Pick: Lions
Tuesday – 3.20am
Los Angeles Rams (-4) @ Oakland Raiders
I mean Jesus Christ, Raiders, what are you playing at?
Pick: Rams
– Updated 10.25, 9 September: A version of this article was originally published on Thursday 6 September and included a preview of the Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles game.
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