18. Carolina Panthers
The 7-6 Carolina Panthers are still alive in the NFC South race and could legitimately host a playoff game this year, which is something I did not think we’d be saying before the season began. The main issue with the Panthers has been that they’ve been pretty up-and-down this year and have not really played consistent football.
That could be a QB issue. Bryce Young has been fine this year, but he’s not developing into a franchise QB. The size will always be a concern with Young, and the Panthers will soon have to make an interesting decision about his fifth-year option.
Another issue here is that if the Panthers wanted to try to upgrade over Young, where do they turn? The roster is in a good spot and ready to win now, and there might not be an immediate upgrade available this coming offseason.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Well, a win is a win. The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t feel like more than an average team at the moment, but they are 7-6 on the season and now in the driver’s seat in the AFC North, which is not something we thought was going to be the case this year.
Unfortunately for Steelers’ fans, this is not a team that can win a playoff game, as it’s the same type of team just packaged with a different QB. It’s likely the final year for Aaron Rodgers, and it looks like he could host a postseason game for the first time in years.
The Steelers haven’t built this roster the right way, as many of their primary contributors are aging and just not very good at this point in time. Pittsburgh is an average team right now and is no. 17 in our NFL Power Rankings as Week 14 closes out.