Week 10 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Packers Rise ... a Little

The Green Bay Packers inched up ever so slightly in our weekly check of 10 national power rankings.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers snapped their four-game losing streak by beating the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Predictably given the circumstances, the Packers weren’t given much credit in the latest NFL power rankings for beating a backup quarterback.

The Packers’ average spot in our weekly look at 10 national power rankings is 25.4. Last week, they were 26.9. The Packers actually fell one spot at Sports Illustrated; their largest improvement was four spots at The Athletic.

Here is where you will find Green Bay as well as Sunday’s opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Longer analysis is available by clicking the individual links.

NFL.com: 23rd

Last week: 25th

Eric Edholm liked what he saw. For the most part. “Green Bay took baby steps on offense in the win over the Rams, as the run game was strong, and some of the Packers' young playmakers got in on the fun a bit. Jordan Love not turning the ball over was another clear positive. Still, there's only so much enthusiasm Green Bay can take away from this game.”

Fourth-and-1 penalties, two fumbles and a missed field goal meant the game was much closer than it should have been.

The Athletic: 23rd

Last week: 27th

In his midseason grades, Josh Kendall gave the Packers a C-minus. As for the victory over the Rams, the Packers had one of their best days of the season from an offensive efficiency perspective. Why? The team leaned into Aaron Jones and the running game. “This team is much better with a healthy Aaron Jones getting 20 carries and could be on the rise if that continues.”

ESPN.com: 24th

Last week: 27th.

The theme for this week’s rankings is the team’s non-quarterback MVP. Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky went with Rashan Gary. Coming back from a torn ACL, Gary “has 4.5 sacks and a team-high 18 pressures despite being on a limited snap count early in the season. He has the eighth-best pressure percentage (13.1% according to ESPN Stats & Information) among all NFL defenders.

Pro Football Network: 25th

Last week: 26th

Dalton Miller understands the youth at receiver leads to inconsistent play. The game against the Rams was one of their “most cohesive” performances in a while.

“Jordan Love played a relatively clean game against the Rams. However, there are still too many heart-attack-inducing moments in his game. He must understand that sometimes a sack is the best outcome for a given situation.”

Who said Christian Watson can't make contested catches? :: Photo by Wm. Glasheen/USA Today Sports Images

Sports Illustrated: 26th

Last week: 25th

A healthy Aaron Jones provided a big lift, and getting to play from ahead allowed the Packers’ defense to flex its muscle. Oh, and there’s this from Conor Orr:

“We all need a backup quarterback game every now and then to get right.”

Pro Football Talk: 26th

Last week: 27th

Wrote Mike Florio, in what (probably?) is a bit of hyperbole: “The win over the Rams felt like a loss.”

Yahoo: 26th

Last week: 28th.

Frank Schwab thought the heavy workload for Aaron Jones was a good sign. He added: “At least a full offense would give Green Bay a chance to fairly evaluate Jordan Love.”

USA Today: 26th

Last week: 28th

Wrote Nate Davis: “Nice to see LB Rashan Gary land a four-year, $96 million extension coming off a 2022 season curtailed by a torn ACL.”

The 33rd Team: 27th

Last week: 27th

Ryan Reynolds quickly addressed the elephant room: The Packers were “gifted” a win by facing Brett Rypien. He added: “In their next four games, the Packers face three teams with a combined record of 18-7, plus the Chargers. Green Bay could easily lose all four of those matchups.”

CBS Sports: 28th

Last week: 29th

Pete Prisco, who once upon a time had the Packers ranked seventh, was not impressed in the least by beating the Rams. “They beat a backup quarterback, but a win is a win, I guess. It's something to build on.”

Next Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Packers will get into the toughest part of their schedule on Sunday when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. In our 10-rankings panel, Pittsburgh is 13.5.

The Steelers are 5-3 and coming off a Thursday night game, so they’ll have a three-day rest advantage. They’ve been smoked by the 49ers and Texans; their five wins have come by no more than seven points. This is an enormously important game for Pittsburgh, which will have played six at home and three on the road.

At Sports Illustrated, Pittsburgh is No. 14. That’s 12 spots better than Green Bay.

Will Levis’s return-to-Earth game couldn’t have come against a worse opponent. While the Titans kept this one respectably close, the Steelers were always going to come up with the requisite defensive stops to satisfy their deep-seated desire to win every football game by the average hockey margin of victory. Kenny Pickett, meanwhile, is almost always good enough when the situation calls for it, while Jaylen Warren remains the best stylistic complement in a backfield this year.

More Green Bay Packers News

The #Packers have a huge rookie class, headlined by their 11 draft picks.

Let's dive in with our updated Rookie Power Rankings. ⬇️https://t.co/urrj6I8edV

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 7, 2023

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