Derek Carr is still top ten in QBR this season per ESPN

I mean Allen had a total shootout with Mahomes in the playoffs a few years ago. Wasn't his fault that they didn't win.

I guess I get your point if you define elite as guys with huge talent that have won a Super Bowl, but to me an elite QB is a guy that can consistently lift his team on his shoulders to get a win and who can get his team to the Superbowl even if things aren't perfect. Allen can or does do that. Carr doesn't really do that so I would put him and Allen in different tiers. Whether that puts Allen in the 2nd tier and Carr in the 3rd tier I don't know, but IMO they don't belong in the same tier of QBs.
Totally fair assessment. It's just that in the realm of these mythical tiers, it's just an easier qualification to use "ring or no ring" to determine top tier and other tiers. For example, when the greats I mentioned were still playing, you had Ryan and Stafford winning here and there in the regular season, but no rings. (Of course, Stafford got his after a chance of venue).