Week 13 Dolphins Power Rankings Roundup
After the Miami Dolphins handled the New York Jets on Sunday, as expected, they only saw minimal gains in most national NFL power rankings.
Their biggest jump came in the USA Today rankings, which moved the Dolphins from 13th to 10th. That's their highest ranking among the seven national lists we have been monitoring all season.
The Dolphins actually stayed put in rankings from two different outlets, Sports Illustrated and NFL.com. The Dolphins now range from a high of 10th to a low of 15th.
Here's a roundup of the power rankings with the Dolphins' rankings last week in parentheses.
Ranking: No. 12 (12)
Analysis: "The Dolphins remain one of the feel-good stories of the year, and if they can hang in the AFC East race until the end, a winner-take-all date with the Bills would be a very good game to flex into prime time in Week 17."
Ranking: No. 15 (15)
Analysis: "The Dolphins are very lucky to have Ryan Fitzpatrick . Tua Tagovailoa could miss multiple weeks with his thumb injury, but the rookie's absence doesn't necessarily dim Miami's postseason chances because of the presence of Fitzpatrick, the league's top backup. The 38-year-old threw two touchdown passes without committing a turnover in the Dolphins' 20-3 win over the Jets on Sunday, then watched as the defense did the rest of the heavy lifting. Miami's D forced a befuddled Sam Darnold into two interceptions and has now come up with at least one takeaway in 17 consecutive games, a league-best streak. The team's best ballhawk is cornerback Xavien Howard , who had a pick in his third straight game and holds the league lead with seven interceptions overall.
Ranking: No. 14 (15)
Analysis (on the most important game remaining): "The Dolphins currently hold a wild-card spot, but after Sunday's game vs. Cincinnati they will be entering the toughest stretch on their schedule (Chiefs, Patriots, at Raiders, at Bills). The Raiders game is most significant because with both teams vying for a wild-card spot, the win and tiebreaker advantage will be essential. It's quite possible that contest — now a Saturday, day-after-Christmas prime-time game — could be a playoff elimination game. Miami has dreams of the Week 17 game in Buffalo being an AFC East championship game, but if the Dolphins don't win in Vegas the week before, that Week 17 game might not matter."
Ranking: No. 12 (14)
Analysis: "Ryan Fitzpatrick to the rescue. Doesn't that seem like something we've heard before. Should he stay in to make a playoff push?"
Ranking: No. 13 (16)
Analysis: "With Tua Tagovailoa inactive, Ryan Fitzpatrick got the start against the Jets. Miami beat the Jets 20-3, but this game was more evenly played than that score would indicate. A huge difference in Miami’s favor was the production in the red zone and on third downs. At 7-4, the Dolphins have a decent chance at the playoffs. They’ve won six of their last seven."
Ranking: No. 14 (15)
Analysis: "Ryan Fitzpatrick started at quarterback and led the Dolphins to a comfortable 20-3 win over the winless Jets. The Dolphins hold the No. 6 seed (second wild card spot) over the Colts in the AFC playoff race based on the head-to-head tiebreaker."
Ranking: No. 10 (13)
Analysis: "Xavien Howard's big year continues, the cornerback having now picked off a pass in seven of his past nine games."
