Dolphins Week 1 Power Rankings Roundup
There's a lot of enthusiasm among Miami Dolphins fans entering the 2022 season after an offseason that saw them acquire high-profile veterans like Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead, but there's clearly some skepticism that remains among NFL observers.
The proof is the set of NFL power rankings heading into Week 1.
Based on our survey of rankings of 10 national outlets — SI, CBS Sports, NFL.com, Bleacher Report, The Sporting News, Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Network, ESPN, Yahoo, and Pro Football Talk — the Dolphins come in at number 19 (18.8, to be precise), meaning in the bottom half of the league.
The highest ranking the Dolphins got was 17th, while the lowest was 21nd.
Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 10 power rankings spots, along with the commentary associated with it:
CBS Sports
Ranking: 18
Analysis: Tua, Tua, Tua. This season is all about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins raved about him this preseason. Now it counts. We shall see.
NFL.com
Ranking: 19
Analysis: Can Tua be The Guy? You can argue no quarterback faces more pressure at the outset of the 2022 season. The Dolphins went all out to put Tua Tagovailoa in position to succeed in his third season, importing a three-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Terron Armstead and pairing 2021 breakout star Jaylen Waddle with the historically productive burner in Tyreek Hill. Add in Mike McDaniel, the team's new offensive-minded head coach, and anything less than instant results will begin the drumbeat for Teddy Bridgewater to get a crack at the controls. Sunday's matchup against the Pats could set the tone for the entire season.
Bleacher Report
Ranking: 19
Analysis: There has been no shortage of hype surrounding the Miami Dolphins in 2022, largely because the team went out and traded for star wide receiver Tyreek Hill.But in order for all (or any) of that hype to be realized, one thing absolutely must happen: Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has to play better after a pair of up-and-down seasons in the NFL.There are doubters about Tagovailoa's ability to be a high-end NFL starter. But per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, Tagovailoa's new No. 1 wide receiver most assuredly does not share those concerns."Well, Tua is low-key cocky—like, a lot of people don't know that," Hill said. "But when you see him start getting into his zone—when it's like, 'Oh yeah, that dude is unstoppable'—when he gets locked into that zone, it is over with for the opposing defense. I promise you."I've had a chance to see that a few times out of him, where he gets into the zone, and he's like on everybody's behind, and it's like, ridiculous, you know? That really motivates the rest of the guys on the team, having such a great leader in Tua."Tagovailoa isn't the only question facing Miami. The running back position has been completely overhauled, and the offensive line was among the league's worst in 2021.But in news that should surprise exactly zero people, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. And if the Dolphins challenge the Buffalo Bills for AFC East supremacy in 2022, it will be because Tagovailoa started playing like a top-five pick.
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 18
Analysis: If Tua can get it done, the Dolphins can get to the round of eight, and maybe even to the AFC Championship.
Yahoo Sports
Ranking: 21
Analysis: Tua Tagovailoa had a good preseason finale, offering some positive vibes heading into a huge season for him. His connection with Tyreek Hill will be one of the NFL's most-watched storylines in September.
Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 19
Analysis: The Dolphins would probably be ranked higher if they’d landed the greatest quarterback of all time this offseason! Unfortunately, they got busted for tampering instead. But Miami is a popular sleeper team to sneak into the AFC playoff picture under first-year coach Mike McDaniel.
Pro Football Network
Ranking: 17
Analysis: The Dolphins are in a similar situation. They had a strong defense a season ago and are staring at an offense that could be exponentially improved a season later. If Mike McDaniel can be anything close to what Kyle Shanahan has been in San Francisco, the Dolphins’ passing attack could be endlessly efficient with weapons like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. Miami’s secondary needs to get healthy. Byron Jones is starting the year on PUP, and Nik Needham, Keion Crossen, and most importantly, Xavien Howard, are all currently banged up. Luckily, Jevon Holland already looks to be on his way to superstardom, and they have a ton of talent and depth on the defensive line.
ESPN
Ranking: 19
Analysis: The Fins' defense will struggle without Brian Flores. The jury is still out in regard to Tua Tagovailoa -- especially playing behind a suspect offensive line. The travel and strength of schedule is much more difficult this season, with road games at the 49ers, vs. the Chargers and vs. the Bills.
Pro Football Focus
Ranking: 19
Analysis: The Dolphins made a sequence of huge, needle-moving changes to the team and still may be struggling to make the playoffs. Tyreek Hill changes the way defenses play on every snap he is on the field, and the team added offensive linemen Terron Armstead and Connor Williams to bolster a historically bad offensive line. New head coach Mike McDaniel brings an exciting system with him, and this Dolphins team should now be very fun to watch, but did the team do enough to make the Dolphins real contenders?
The Sporting News
Ranking: 19
Analysis: Mike McDaniel looks like he will come through on having a fun offense around Tua Tagovailoa with Hill and Jaylen Waddle being the primary playmakers. The Dolphins might still have an uphill battle for the playoffs with the West and North likely to dominate the AFC wild cards.
