NFL Week 12: 3 teams on upset alert this Sunday

The Cardinals need to be on upset alert against the Patriots

Arizona is one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season, entering Week 12 in possession of a playoff berth if the season were to end today. This comes in spite of a Thursday night loss to Seattle which is hard to fault the Cardinals for since Russell Wilson continues to produce at an MVP level.

The pressure of competing in the tough NFC West will be a lot for Arizona, which has a critical matchup with the Los Angeles Rams looming in Week 13. This game could consume a ton of attention for the Cardinals, leading to a potential trap in Week 12 against the Patriots.

Arizona is laying 2.5 points on the road against New England, which isn’t playing up to its usual standards but has played significantly better football over the past few weeks. The Patriots’ two-game winning streak was snapped on Sunday with a loss in Houston, but this game will be at Gillette Stadium, meaning a cross country flight for the Cardinals to play this game at 1:00 p.m. on the East Coast.

Those ingredients, combined with a susceptible run defense for the Cardinals, make this a major trap game if Arizona isn’t careful. A loss here could be very damaging in a tight postseason race so the Cardinals need to be on upset alert to ensure they don’t take the Patriots too lightly in Week 12.