10. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
Over the last two weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost by multiple scores to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, two elite teams in the NFL. I have no clue what the objective is for the Steelers; do they just want to be good or compete for Super Bowls? They aren't a great team by any means and will not go anywhere as long as Russell Wilson is still their starter.
I understand that Wilson has been efficient this year, but their is a clear QB mismatch when Wilson competes against others in the NFL. The Steelers are still 10-5 and could still win the AFC North, and they are yet another playoff-caliber team that would probably need to have a playoff game at home to win one. The Steelers are another example of a good-not-great team in the NFL and need to get out of the 2008 line of thinking with their QB position.
This team needs to invest into a legitimate QB prospect if they want to get back to being an elite team. Two losses in a row for Pittsburgh has them sliding in our latest NFL power rankings.
9. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
Now winners of four games in a row, the Los Angeles Rams are riding high and could find themselves winners of the NFC West in 2024. The division has been pretty even most of the season, but the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention, so it'll be down to the Rams or Seattle Seahawks. The main issue with the Rams to open up the 2024 NFL Season was their mounting injuries.
And since starting 1-4, they have since gone 8-2, which is an .800 winning percentage. Their latest win was a victory over the New York Jets in Week 16. If you ask me, the Los Angeles Rams would be the one team I would hate to face in any round of the NFC playoffs, as this team is largely battle-tested, and they also made a late-season run in 2023 to finish with 10 wins.
The Rams also have a Super Bowl-winning head coach and QB duo with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, so that is at play here too. The LA Rams keep rising in our latest NFL power rankings. They are in a great spot as the playoffs near in the 2024 NFL Season.