Week 16 Dolphins Power Rankings Roundup
The Miami Dolphins clinched their first winning season since 2016 when they defeated the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday and made a move up — albeit a slight one — in most national NFL power rankings.
The Dolphins moved up one spot in all but one of the seven national weekly rankings we have been monitoring, the one exception coming from Yahoo Sports, which kept Miami at number 13.
All seven outlets have the Dolphins at either 12 or 13 through Week 15.
Here's a roundup of the power rankings with the Dolphins' rankings last week in parentheses.
Ranking: No. 12 (13)
Analysis: "Miami was down DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, and has a rookie quarterback. The Patriots knew the Dolphins had to run it. And Miami still churned out 250 yards rushing against that defense. Pretty impressive."
Ranking: No. 13 (14)
Analysis: "Playing without DeVante Parker or Mike Gesicki, the Dolphins knew it was going to be difficult to attack the Patriots through the air. Enter the run game, which delivered big performances from Salvon Ahmed and Matt Breida in a 22-12 win that knocked the once-mighty Patriots out of the playoff picture while keeping Miami alive and well in the AFC wild-card race. It's hard to deny Brian Flores' credentials in the Coach of the Year conversation; his leadership turned the Dolphins' rebuild into the NFL's version of Operation Warp Speed. His team is always prepared, he finds contributors up and down the roster and he's done expert work nurturing rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Flores is proof that installing the right man on the sidelines is half the battle."
Ranking: No. 12 (13)
Analysis on the team's most underrated standout: "The Dolphins have a top-two scoring defense, and Ogbah has been the team's best front-seven player, helping to dramatically improve what was the NFL's worst pass rush in 2019, when Miami totaled 23 sacks and no player had more than five. Ogbah has a team-high nine sacks, putting him in the top 10 in the league, for an NFL-high 95 yards. Ogbah has consistently won his one-on-one matchups by showing supreme hand usage. His two-year, $15 million deal in March is looking like a steal, and he's a prime candidate for a long-term extension."
Ranking: No. 12 (13)
Analysis: "They have a real shot to be a playoff team, but they have a big one this week against the Raiders. This could be the game where Tua Tagovailoa gets it going."
Ranking: No. 12 (13)
Analysis: "Tua Tagovailoa didn’t have DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, or Mike Gesicki to throw to. He only had six incompletions against New England but also only threw for 145 yards. Miami hasn’t run the ball well this year, but they dominated the time of possession while picking up 250 rushing yards on their way to knocking the Patriots out of the playoffs. Miami has won eight of their last ten games."
Ranking: No. 13 (13)
Analysis: "The Dolphins have a game at Las Vegas on Saturday and then finish at Buffalo. The Raiders are falling apart. The Bills, who clinched the AFC East and have little shot at the No. 1 seed, could be sitting key players before their first playoff game. The path to the playoffs might not be as hard as it looks."
Ranking: No. 12 (13)
Analysis: "Nice job, Salvon Ahmed, who broke Miami's 31-game streak without a 100-yard rusher after vowing to play well for his ailing grandmother."
