TA Panel: Stephen Holder, Jeff Howe and Ted Nguyen will review the week for you.
How does it feel to have a pony defeat a patriot?
HH: The Patriots like to make the game ugly and force the opposing offense to play in a way they don't feel comfortable with, but the Ponies are one of the few teams that can keep the pace of the game from following the Patriots. They proved themselves, like the Patriots, not a team that relies on quarterbacks, and they can win with strong pavements, elite special agent performances and opportunistic defensive groups. The question is whether Winds can rise in the playoffs.
Howe: The loss reflects the Patriots' shortcomings in the first six weeks of the season: not being sophisticated enough. They conceded 10 points because of a special agent error, injured key offenses and defenses because of fouls, and were vulnerable to the opponent's pre-declared rush. Coupled with the second two-copy game of the full school season, the Patriots fell behind 0-20 in the fourth quarter and actually had a chance to chase back.
Nguyen: He only passed 12 goals against the Patriots, 6 of which were destroyed by the Patriots, including one interception, and luckily almost two more interceptions. The Colts have playoff-level defense and pavement offense, but the ups and downs of quarterbacks have to be watched. Patriots have a similar situation, although the second half of the full class state picked up, but when the Patriots were behind, they could not use the road to attack and control the field, and I do not believe that the full class can bring back this victory for the Patriots.
After the big defeat to the Lions, are the Cardinals fans panicked?
HW: It was a disappointing defeat for a team that wanted to dominate the League. The Cardinals had nothing to be ashamed of before losing to the Packers and Rams, and Murray was fine to lose to the Panthers, but this week was the Cardinals' worst loss of the season. And on Christmas Eve they also have to face the ponies, and week 17 against the cowboys. Today they lost a victory that should have been in their pockets.
Howe: Being blown up by a lion is not an easy task. Ho's serious injury may have been partly due, of course, the Cardinals did not collapse because of a defeat, and they have shown impressive resilience throughout the season. But the League of Nations is now top-heavy, and a little carelessness is likely to fall out of the playoffs.
Nguyen: I don't think the Cardinals should panic, but after losing two games in a row, there has to be a sense of urgency to get back on track. When star center Rodney Hudson is unable to play, the offensive front looks completely different, but he should recover soon. The Cardinals still have a lot of talent, and ten wins give them room to make mistakes, but really can't afford a bad game anymore.
Who has more playoff hopes for this week's winning Steelers and Dolphins?
HOR: The rest of the schedule for both teams is not easy (Steelers vs. Chiefs, Brown and Crows; Dolphins vs. Saints, Titans and Patriots). In fact, I don't think I can make the playoffs on either team, but because of the Steelers' passing strength, rich game experience and the slight advantage of a draw, I believe in this old strong team.
Howe: I would say that both teams had a challenging schedule for the last three weeks, so neither team had any advantages. A lot of times I don't understand the Steelers, who have had impressive wins and maddening defeats all season. The Steelers led the Dolphins by half a win, not far from the Northern Throne.
Nguyen: Both teams are very defensive, and the offense can continue to advance, but both are mainly short passes. I think the Dolphins have opponents like the Titans and Saints left, and the schedule is a little bit lighter — not at all, but the Steelers have to face Mahoms and Lamar Jackson.
Who can win the chaos in the North?
HH: This is the scariest division of the league because the strength is so even. Accidentally losing a game will put all the previous efforts in vain. I would choose a more explosive team: the Tigers. They have enough offensive flashpoints to match a tough defense, even if the defense is not stable. Joe Burrow may be a key figure in pacifying the North.
Howe: I'm leaning towards tigers, but I'm not really sure. None of the teams in the North were stable enough, and all four teams still had two divisional civil wars, and the final development was unpredictable. Tigers are up and down, Brown's injuries are big, Steelman has just sniped at the Titans, and the Crows are also affected by injuries. A certain team may win 10 games to the North, but I don't know who it will be.
Nguyen: The Tigers will face the Ravens at home next week, and then going to Cleveland against Brown will determine division attribution. I think their defense is excellent and Joe Burrow is moving towards the next level. While not scoring high against the Broncos, they are tough enough at home.