Dolphins Week 11 Power Rankings Roundup
The Miami Dolphins made it four in a row with their 39-17 victory against the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium, and now almost universally are recognized as a top five team in the NFL among the national media.
In our weekly survey of 10 national power rankings from national outlets, all but one ranking had the Dolphins outside the top five ad they were ranked as high as third.
In our survey of rankings of those 10 national outlets —CBS Sports, NFL.com, The Athletic, The Sporting News, The Ringer, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Yahoo, and Pro Football Talk — the Dolphins averaged a ranking of 4.7 among the 32 NFL teams, down from their average of 8.1 after Week 9.
Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 10 power rankings spots, along with the commentary associated with it:
CBS Sports
Ranking: 4 Previous: 6
Analysis: They are in first place in the AFC East and continue to be an offensive show. Tua Tagovailoa is in the MVP conversation.
NFL.com
Ranking: 4 Previous: 12
Analysis: You have to go back to the salad days of Dan Marino to find a Dolphins offense that felt this dangerous. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 285 yards and three more touchdowns, and Jeff Wilson Jr. had 119 of the team's 195 rushing yards as Miami steamrolled a Cleveland defense that shut down Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 9. The Dolphins reach their bye in first place in the AFC East having averaged 35 points and nearly 450 yards per game in their last three weeks. Meanwhile, the "M-V-P!" chants for Tua at Hard Rock Stadium don't seem so far-fetched: eight starts, seven wins, 18 touchdown passes, three interceptions, 71 percent completion rate at a staggering 9.1 yards per attempt. Peak Steve Young stuff.
The Athletic
Ranking: 3 Previous: 5
Analysis: After their 22-point blowout of the Browns, the Dolphins are now 7-0 in games started and finished by Tua Tagovailoa. They won in a different way Sunday, leaning on their rushing attack against the notoriously bad Browns run defense. Jeff Wilson, acquired at the deadline, ran for 119 yards and a touchdown while Raheem Mostert added 65 yards and a touchdown. Miami’s 195 rushing yards were far and away its most of the season, while Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for 110 yards receiving, their second-lowest combined mark behind the Skylar Thompson-led loss to the Jets in Week 5.
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 5 Previous: 9
Analysis: The offense is becoming more and more unstoppable. The question is whether it will travel in January. Maybe it won’t have to.
Yahoo Sports
Ranking: 4 Previous: 7
Analysis: Mike McDaniel has been a great hire. If you were doing it all over again, would McDaniel, Kevin O'Connell or Brian Daboll be the top choice among the 2022 hires? All three have a case for Coach of the Year.
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Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 9 Previous: 10
Analysis: Tua Tagovailoa leads the league in QB rating. And while QB rating isn’t what we’d traditionally use to evaluate the entirety of a skill set, it’s absolutely stunning what happens when a coaching staff decides a player is not limited.
ESPN
Ranking: 4 Previous: 6
Analysis (on temperature on who was on the hot seat in preseason, Noah Igbinoghene, hot but tolerable): Igbinoghene turned in noteworthy performances against the Vikings and Steelers in Week 6 and Week 7, respectively, recording a winning interception against Pittsburgh. He has logged 37 total snaps in two games since, which is an upward trend from the healthy scratches he was logging at the beginning of the season. He still has a long way to go toward solidifying a long-term roster spot, and his fifth-year option is likely all but declined at this point. But this coaching staff appreciates his work ethic and demeanor. All hope is not yet abandoned.
The Ringer
Ranking: 5 Previous: 7
Analysis: Tua Tagovailoa has three consecutive games with three touchdown passes and no picks. The Dolphins have won every game he’s started and finished. He leads the league in EPA per dropback and has Miami ranked second in offensive EPA per drive. Tua certainly deserves a ton of credit, both for how well he’s playing and for the overall success Miami is having, but head coach Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins’ elite cast of skill position players deserve just as much, if not more. The potential for this offense is sky-high because of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and McDaniel is hitting the ceiling with creative run schemes and Shanahan-level mastery of personnel groupings, play-action and pre-snap motion. Tagovailoa, McDaniel, and the supporting cast are all at the top of their games right now; that makes them a legitimate Super Bowl threat.
The Sporting News
Ranking: 4 Previous: 14
Analysis: The Dolphins were off to the races early with their speedy wide receivers and running backs against the Browns with Tua Tagovailoa playing his best football. They're now in first place in the AFC East.
USA Today
Ranking: 5 Previous: 5
Analysis: Look who's suddenly atop the AFC East. Miami is undefeated in contests started and finished by QB Tua Tagovailoa. The run game is also gaining steam behind recently obtained RB Jeff Wilson and fellow former 49er Raheem Mostert – the duo combining for 184 yards Sunday.
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