LA Rams stand over Steelers in latest FanSided NFL Power Rankings

NFL Power Rankings are a way to compare two or more NFL teams without the existence of a head-to-head matchup. Right now, FanSided's latest NFL Power Rankings may be a bit underwhelming when it comes to the LA Rams. Despite improving to a 3-3 record, the Rams continue to be ranked lower than the Top 15 team in the NFL.

If you compare teams solely on records alone, the range of teams that sit with a 3-3 record could be anywhere from 14th to 22nd, a huge swath of teams that fall into that neutral 'limbo' territory right now. But then it does become a bit more complex. The Rams have defeated the Indianapolis Colts (also a 3-3 team), but have lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (another 3-3 team).

All of that is simply the opportunity for subjective comparison, the "My team is better than x team because . . . " argument which rules animated discussion and debate in NFL forums and fan pages. It's a debate that begins long before an NFL season starts, and will continue long into the aftermath of the NFL Playoffs.

Rams ranked higher than the Pittsburgh Steelers

While it's a simple matter of lining up NFL teams by whatever their records, that is not how the typical NFL Power Rankings work. Authors of these lengthy and rather involved NFL articles attempt to rank teams based on factors that are prevalent to the team's overall chances of success.

And so, the rationalization goes beyond records, and into injured players, team rankings, overall rosters, and players who are hot and those who are not performing to expectations. And then, the NFL Power Rankings are modified with the expectation of how would teams fare if they played another team on the list.

Just for fun, the LA Rams are currently ranked higher than their Week 7 opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rams have been surprisingly competitive this season, and as a result have a rather high point differential of +21, despite a record of 3-3 in six games. By comparison, the Steelers point differential is alarmingly low, currently standing at (-31) despite a 3-2 record after five games.

In a perfect NFL world, better teams always defeat lesser team. That is not how it works, however. We know this after Week 6 was filled with upsets. The Cleveland Browns (3-2) defeated the San Francisco 49ers (5-1). The New York Jets (3-3) defeated the Philadelphia Eagles (5-1). But nobody believed that the Browns or the Jets are among the best teams in the NFL.