Post-Super Bowl LVI Dolphins Power Rankings Roundup
The Miami Dolphins may have ended up winning eight of their final nine games to post a winning record in 2021, but the national perception of the team based on post-Super Bowl LVI national power rankings puts them in the bottom half of the league heading into the offseason.
In our roundup of seven national power rankings — SI, NFL.com, ESPN, CBSSports.com, Pro Football Network, Yahoo Sports and USA Today — the Dolphins' average position was 20th, a pretty good drop from their average of 13th at this same time last year.
The Dolphins ranged from a high of 17th (ESPN) to a low of 22nd (CBSSports.com, USA Today).
Here's a roundup of the Dolphins' post-Super Bowl or early 2022 power rankings from those seven national outlets, with those same rankings from last year in parentheses:
Ranking: No. T-19 (13)
Analysis: "The Dolphins were one of the toughest teams to figure out last year, turning around their season in dramatic fashion and still firing Brian Flores at the end of it. Things don't get any clearer as they prepare to reboot with Mike McDaniel as coach."
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Ranking: No. 20 (12)
Analysis: "The appointment of Mike McDaniel as head coach served as a pleasant distraction, but a smart hire can't wash away the bigger concerns surrounding this team. The bombshell civil suit filed by former coach Brian Flores continues to reverberate, with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reporting that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross could face severe discipline, 'up to and including Ross losing the team by a vote of fellow owners' if allegations that Ross offered Flores $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 NFL season are proven by a league investigation. Quite a backdrop for McDaniel as he begins his maiden voyage as head coach."
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Ranking: No. 17 (12)
Offseason in three words or less (Revamp this offense): "It didn't matter who Miami's next coach was going to be, the task this offseason remained the same: revitalizing the NFL's 25th-ranked offense from a season ago. The Dolphins have the most salary-cap space in the league and must use it to build around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which includes bolstering the offensive line and adding a high-level skill player. The 2022 season is a decision year for Miami in regard to Tagovailoa's future. And after spending the fifth overall pick on him in 2020, Miami has to do whatever it takes to get a return on its investment."
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Ranking: No. 22 (15)
Analysis: "New coach Mike McDaniel is known as a bright offensive mind. He has a big challenge in getting Tua Tagovailoa to play at a high level."
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Ranking: No. 20 (13)
Analysis: "It’s been a tumultuous 20+ years for the Miami Dolphins. But the past few months have been a real doozy. They fired a successful head coach in Brian Flores, who then decided to sue the NFL. He accused them of trying to pay him to tank in 2019. They’ve watched Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert run laps on Tua Tagovailoa. But they also made a head coaching hire that was almost universally loved in Mike McDaniel. The hope is for McDaniel to cultivate an offensive environment that suits Tua and the talent around him. I’d expect Jaylen Waddle to become an even bigger focal point in the offense, which is a great thing."
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Ranking: No. 20 (15)
Analysis: "The Dolphins' offseason is off to a less-than-ideal start. But at least new head coach Mike McDaniel has a lot of positive energy and the roster was good enough to win eight straight games last season. Assuming McDaniel is going to follow the Kyle Shanahan offensive blueprint, the Dolphins need to upgrade the run game this offseason. The good news is the Dolphins have a projected $64.7 million in cap space, most in the NFL."
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Ranking: No. 22 (12)
Analysis: "Former coach Brian Flores is gone, but the disarray around this club may be only beginning."
