Week 9 Dolphins Power Rankings Roundup

After the Miami Dolphins returned to action with a 28-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Tua Tagovailoa's NFL starting debut, they naturally moved up in most national NFL power rankings.

Oddly, they stayed in the exact same position in a couple of them despite beating a team that came with a 5-2 record.

The Dolphins find themselves in the middle of the NFL rankings, with a high ranking of 11th and a low of 17th.

Here's a roundup of the power rankings with the Dolphins' rankings last week in parentheses.

Sports Illustrated

Ranking: No. 11 (16)

Analysis: "The Dolphins’ big win against the Rams had more to do with the defense than the debut of Tua Tagovailoa. But either way, Brian Flores has this team headed in a good direction—and perhaps sooner than most expected after last year’s roster tear-down. We can now say that Miami is the Bills’ biggest threat in the AFC East."

NFL.com

Ranking: No. 16 (20)

Analysis: "The starting debut of Tua Tagovailoa was supposed to be the story of the day for the Dolphins on Sunday, but the first-round pick ended up taking a backseat to a defense and special teams that buried the Rams with impact plays. The Miami D forced four Jared Goff turnovers in the first half, and the Dolphins scored on defense and special teams, coasting to a 28-17 win despite being outgained in total yardage to a laughable degree (471-145). Setting aside the high yardage total, Goff and the Rams' offense struggled to handle a pass rush that consistently brought pressure. The Dolphins will put their three-game winning streak on the line this Sunday in Arizona. Measuring Stick Game."

ESPN

Ranking: No. 17 (19)

Analysis: "The Dolphins have the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense (18.6 points per game allowed). Yes, those Miami Dolphins. Flores' defense is confusing and pressuring offenses in a way that is making teams respect the Dolphins. After an 0-7 start to the Flores era, the Dolphins have gone 9-7 (including 4-3 in 2020). Dolphins fans, it seems you've got the right coach."

CBS Sports

Ranking: No. 13 (18)

Analysis: "They won Tua Tagovailoa's first start, but it wasn't because of him. They face a tough road test this week at Arizona."

Pro Football Network

Ranking: No. 17 (17)

Analysis: "In Tua Tagovailoa’s starting debut, the Dolphins got their third straight win. While that is outstanding, Tagovailoa threw for just over 90 yards in this game. Additionally, the Dolphins could only muster 55 yards on the ground, averaging just 3.0 yards per play and possessing the ball for 23:31. Despite all of this, they found a way to finish the game with 28 points. That isn’t easy to do in this league! Yet, the Dolphins have a winning record and could end up in the hunt for the seventh seed in the AFC."

Yahoo Sports

Ranking: No. 16 (20)

Analysis: "Thanks to defensive and special teams touchdowns, Tua Tagovailoa’s 12-for-22, 93-yard effort in his debut won’t get much scrutiny. But Miami isn’t winning many games with eight first downs and 145 yards of offense."

USA Today

Ranking: No. 14 (14)

Analysis: "Well look who's allowing the fewest points in the league (18.6 ppg). It's also first time in six years Miami has won by 10+ points in three successive games."

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