NFL Week 18 2022: 3 teams on upset alert this weekend

1. NFL Teams That Should Be On Upset Alert In Week 18 – Los Angeles Chargers

It’s fitting that the Chargers, who have taken up a residency in this space over the course of the season, top the final upset alert of the year. Los Angeles has already locked up its wild card berth and can’t win the division, meaning they are only playing for a potential seeding difference in Week 18.

The two options available are the fifth seed, which would send the Chargers to the AFC South winner, or the sixth seed’s trip to the AFC North champion. Neither path is particularly advantageous, especially if the red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars win the AFC South on Saturday, so the Chargers could take it easy on Sunday against the Broncos.

Brandon Staley’s team is favored by 3.5 points against Denver, which played inspired football a week after Nathaniel Hackett was fired. The Broncos are also at home for this game and may want to finish a lost year on a positive note by scoring a victory over their division rivals.

Considering the slate of injuries Los Angeles has dealt with this year, no one can blame them for potentially sitting key players to avoid more injury issues ahead of Super Wild Card Weekend. That formula, along with a motivated Denver team, could lead to an upset in name that doesn’t do too much to hurt the Chargers’ playoff prospects.