NFL Week 12 2022: 3 teams on upset alert this Sunday

Chargers (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers are among the NFL teams that should be on upset alert entering their Week 12 matchups.

Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday and it is as good a time as any to do an audit into who the real contenders are in the NFL season. That task has been difficult this season as few teams have been able to avoid the kinds of upsets that raise questions about how legitimate their Super Bowl hopes are.

Maintaining focus in Week 12 will be even more of a challenge since the holiday falls in the middle of the week, which could cause some distractions in the middle of important game prep. Let’s take a look at three teams that should be on upset alert in Week 12, starting with the Los Angeles Chargers.

NFL Teams That Should Be On Upset Alert In Week 12 – Los Angeles Chargers

Few teams in the league give the Kansas City Chiefs as much trouble as the Chargers do. Los Angeles nearly stole a massive win against Kansas City on Sunday night before Patrick Mahomes broke their hearts with a late touchdown drive to claim victory.

That kind of defeat can crush the soul of a team, particularly since it all but eliminates the Chargers from contention for the AFC West crown. The wild card route is a cluttered one in the AFC but it is the most realistic path for Justin Herbert to make his playoff debut at this point.

Los Angeles hits the road this week as 4.5-point favorites against the Arizona Cardinals, who will be angry after getting embarrassed at Azteca Stadium by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Kyler Murray should also be back for Arizona this week, making this a very dangerous spot for the Chargers if they can’t get past the sting of blowing the Chiefs game.