Dolphins Week 15 Power Rankings Roundup

The Miami Dolphins accomplished the biggest goal against the New York Jets on Sunday with their overtime victory, and that clearly was to stay in the AFC playoff picture.

The 32-26 overtime victory against the New York Jets, who already were assured of a losing season, certainly wasn't overwhelming and it clearly didn't impress the national media.

In our survey of NFL power rankings from 10 national outlets — Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, NFL.com, The Ringer, USA Today, Pro Football Network, The Athletic, Yahoo! Sports, and Bleacher Report — the Dolphins had the exact same average position as they did before the game at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.

Yep, the Dolphins' average ranking in the 10 outlets went from 18.0 to 18.0, with a high of 16 (The Athletic, Yahoo) and a low of 20 (The Ringer, USA Today). The Dolphins actually dropped in four of the media outlets.

Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 10 power rankings spots heading into Week 15 of the 2024 regular season, along with the associated commentary.

MIAMI DOLPHINS POWER RANKINGS

Sports Illustrated

Ranking: 17

Last Week: 17

Analysis: Jonnu Smith has been the second best tight end in the NFL since Miami’s Week 6 bye. And while he was a ghost in this game until the fourth quarter—at least in terms of receptions—it’s clear what he means to this offense. The amount of sheer yards he’s been accountable for in terms of the success of others has been ridiculous. Example: on a big pass to Waddle at the beginning of the game Sunday, Smith spaces himself out another few yards wide, then, that width ends up preventing the defender guarding him from closing on Waddle and making a tackle.

Pro Football Talk

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 21

Analysis: It’s probably better to finish strong and just miss the playoffs then to make it and go one-and-done again.

CBS Sports

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 18

Analysis: They didn't play well against the Jets, but found a way to win it in overtime. The defense had a rough go of it against a bad Jets offense.

NFL.com

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 18

Analysis: A third straight playoff appearance remains possible, with Miami keeping its hopes alive by beating the Jets on Sunday, but the Dolphins are more likely to come up short this season. They showed a curious lack of urgency at certain points of the game, kept on the ropes for 60 minutes by a lifeless Jets team that really had little to play for. New York scored points in every quarter except overtime, making life hard on the defense, especiallyJ alen Ramsey, who had a challenging day against Garrett Wilson. Jonnu Smith was the Dolphins' OT hero (after recording zero catches in regulation), and Tua Tagovailoa deserves credit for his late surge, overcoming a tough third quarter to complete 15 of his 22 passes for 144 yards and two scores in the fourth quarter and overtime. That got his team over the hump, but an OT win at home over the Jets won't coax us to start designing parade routes.

The Ringer

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 19

Analysis: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t often play games without getting sacked behind this leaky offensive line. On Sunday, he stayed clean by getting the ball out quickly and setting his receivers up with yards-after-the-catch opportunities. Those quick passes helped Miami make up for deficiencies in the run game. Mathematically, the Dolphins have the longest odds of the playoff-eligible AFC teams, but they’re matching up with the Texans next week at the perfect time given Houston’s recent struggles. I’m excited to see where Tagovailoa takes Miami in these final four games.

USA Today Sports

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 17

Analysis: They barely escaped the lowly Jets at home but finish the season with three of four on the road, including potential cold-weather games at Cleveland and New York. Even QB Tua Tagovailoa's league-best precision (73.8% completion rate) might not be enough to overcome the problematic narratives this team has yet to slay.

Pro Football Network

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 16

Analysis: The Dolphins improved to 6-7 this week with a 32-26 win over the Jets. Tua Tagovailoa completed 33 of 47 passes for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, including one score to Tyreek Hill (who had 10 receptions for 115 yards). Jonnu Smith caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime. PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Dolphins a 27.1% chance of making the playoffs. This team is better than their record indicates since they lost three of four games when Tagovailoa was out. The Dolphins should be favored in nearly all of their remaining games, with only the game in Houston being a question mark.

The Athletic

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 20

Analysis on breakout player, TE Jonnu Smith: The eighth-year pro didn’t have a catch in the first 60 minutes Sunday, but he had three catches for 44 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He’s now third on the team with 61 catches, which is only four fewer than Tyreek Hill. His five receiving touchdowns are tied with Hill for second on the team and his 692 receiving yards are the most he’s had in any season in his career.

Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 17

Analysis: Heading into Monday night's game, the QB with the highest completion percentage in NFL history was Tua Tagovailoa at 68.1%. He is at 73.8% this season, which leads the NFL. He is having another excellent season. Maybe one day he won't be criminally underrated anymore.

Bleacher Report

Ranking: 17

Last Week: 17

Analysis: The Dolphins almost saw their playoff hopes disintegrate, but they pulled out an overtime win against the Jets. Miami's defense has been an issue in recent outings, allowing 56 points over the last two weeks. The Dolphins need edge-rusher Bradley Chubb back on the field. Coming off a torn ACL, he could make his season debut sooner than later.

DOLPHINS OPPONENT RANKING

For the record, the Dolphins' upcoming opponent, the Houston Texans, has an average ranking of 13.6, with a high of 9 and a low of 17.