Dolphins Week 6 Power Rankings Roundup
Which each loss, the Miami Dolphins keep creeping closer to the very bottom of the NFL when it comes to national power rankings.
The Dolphins have sunk to as low as 30th out of 32 teams in the rankings of both Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Network, and they're no higher than 27th in any of the seven outlets used for our power rankings roundup — Sports Illustrated, NFL.com, ESPN, CBS Sports, Pro Football Network, Yahoo Sports and USA Today — after their 23-20 last-second loss against the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars in London, England.
Here's a roundup of the 2021 power rankings heading into Week 7, with the previous ranking in parentheses and the comments from each outlet:
Ranking: No. 30 (28)
Analysis: "Over the coming months, there will be lots of finger-pointing in the wake of the Dolphins literally throwing away an entire season to draft a quarterback they’ll more likely than not be moving on from after this season. Some fingers will point at Chris Grier, some at Brian Flores, some at their 14-person offensive coordinator committee, and some at Tua Tagovailoa himself. But those fingers should be pointing at the owner who encouraged that dopey plan."
Ranking: No. 29 (28)
Analysis: "The Dolphins had what many considered a layup in Week 6: A trip to London and a matchup against a winless Jaguars team that appeared rudderless under Urban Meyer. And despite a successful return to action for Tua Tagovailoa, Miami coughed up a double-digit lead, made some dreadful in-game management decisions and somehow were left to watch the Jaguars celebrate a walk-off win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A season that started with so much promise now seems nearly lost. "I'm not doing a good enough job," coach Brian Flores said in his postgame press conference. "Not playing consistently enough. Not coaching well enough. Not playing well enough. ... Consistent ball -- first half, a little bit in the second half, but we're just not putting it together. That starts with me."
Ranking: No. 27 (27)
Analysis on the team's current confidence level: "After winning 10 games in 2020, it felt like the Dolphins were ready to take that next step under coach Brian Flores in 2021. So far, that has not been the case. Miami ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring offense (29th) and scoring defense (29th), it's dead last in third-down defense and it just fell to the Jaguars to cap off a five-game losing streak. Six games into the season, there's little about the Dolphins' play that inspires confidence, and without their first-round pick in 2022, there isn't even a silver lining to losing games."
Ranking: No. 29 (28)
Analysis: "It's official after the loss to the Jaguars: Brian Flores is on the hot seat. This was considered a potential playof team, but now they are 1-5, which is not a good look for Flores."
Ranking: No. 30 (28)
Analysis: "The Miami Dolphins are an abject disaster. They are an unmitigated dumpster fire. Their offense lacks imagination, and without their top-two cornerbacks, their defense can’t get stops when they need to. Tua Tagovailoa is still a work in progress, but I felt he played well enough after the rib injury — aside from a horrific pass on his lone interception. The Dolphins can’t even hop on the tanking train, considering they lost out on their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to move up and select Jaylen Waddle. This probably won’t end well for Brian Flores and Co."
Ranking: No. 27 (26)
Analysis: "Tua Tagovailoa looked pretty good in his return. That's about the only positive thing you can say about the Dolphins, a 10-win team a year ago that has one win and got outplayed by the Jaguars. The future looked good for the Dolphins but it's not so clear anymore, and that includes coach Brian Flores. Miami needs to show some life this season."
Ranking: No. 29 (27)
Analysis: "Brian Flores got outcoached by Urban Meyer on Sunday, one of the bigger upsets of a young NFL season."
