The Miami Dolphins pretty much maintained the status quo in the national NFL power rankings in the wake of their 30-15 victory against the Houston Texans in Week 12.
In our weekly survey of 10 national power rankings from national outlets, half kept them in the exact same spot as last week, two moved them up, while three decided to drop them despite the convincing victory.
In our survey of rankings of those 10 national outlets —CBS Sports, NFL.com, The Athletic, The Sporting News, The Ringer, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Yahoo, and Pro Football Talk — the Dolphins averaged a ranking of 4.7 among the 32 NFL teams, a tick down from their average of 4.6 after Week 10.
Here’s the breakdown of the Dolphins’ 10 power rankings spots, along with the commentary associated with it:
CBS Sports
Ranking: 3 Previous: 3
Analysis: They have been rolling on offense, but they face a stiff test this week at San Francisco. Can Tua Tagovailoa keep it going?
NFL.com
Ranking: 6 Previous: 7
Analysis: The Dolphins took care of business against the league-worst Texans on Sunday — jumping out to a 30-point halftime lead before coasting to a fifth consecutive victory — and now here’s where things get really interesting for Mike McDaniel and the AFC East leaders. Up next is a Week 13 road trip to face the red-hot 49ers, with more challenges to follow against the Chargers, Bills, Patriots and Jets, all teams in the AFC playoff race. Miami decimated the competition during the soft portion of its schedule; by the end of December, we’ll have a much better handle on how seriously we should take this team in the conversation of Super Bowl contenders.
The Athletic
Ranking: 3 Previous: 3
Analysis: Now we find out if the Dolphins are for real. They are a perfect 8-0 in games started and finished by Tua Tagovailoa, but they haven’t beaten a team with a winning record since Week 3. They have one of the three best offenses in the league by most measures, but they now prepare to play without left tackle Terron Armstead for at least the next few games. Those games, by the way, are road trips to San Francisco, Los Angeles (Chargers) and Buffalo. Here we go.
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 4 Previous: 4
Analysis: TuAnon has become Tua-Second-to-None.
Yahoo Sports
Ranking: 4 Previous: 4
Analysis: Mike McDaniel almost pulled Tua Tagovailoa too early. Tagovailoa came out of the game in the third quarter, with the Dolphins leading 30-6. The Dolphins ended up winning 30-15 but there were some moments in which it looked like Houston could cut it to a one-score game. That second half means little; the 30-0 first half was a measure of how good Miami is right now. However, left tackle Terron Armstead missing some time with a partially torn pec — likely a reason Tagovailoa was pulled when he was — is a potential problem.
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Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 7 Previous: 9
Analysis: I think the Dolphins could have started Tyreek Hill at quarterback and soundly defeated the Texans. Podcast cohost Gary Gramling was right: Houston offered one of the worst performances of the season. Miami, rightfully, dominated. I have them at No. 7, which, to me, represents the outer fringe of our circle of potential Super Bowl winners.
ESPN
Ranking: 5 Previous: 4
Analysis (on realistic expectation, winning the AFC East): The Dolphins are in the driver’s seat to win their first division title since 2008, and right now, they’re playing better than the Bills — against whom they currently own a tiebreaker. Their Week 15 showdown could end up deciding the division, although Miami does have two more division games in Weeks 16 and 17. Fans in western New York aren’t going to like hearing it, but the Dolphins have placed themselves in position to win the division, and it’s what they should expect moving forward.
The Ringer
Ranking: 6 Previous: 4
Analysis: We’re going to learn a lot about the Dolphins over the next three weeks as they play road games against the 49ers, Chargers, and Bills. The first game of that stretch will be particularly revealing, with Mike McDaniel pitted against his former mentor Kyle Shanahan as a 3.5-point underdog. All of the confidence in McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, and the offense will come to a halt if they can’t keep the party going against some of the league’s top teams.
The Sporting News
Ranking: 3 Previous: 3
Analysis: The Dolphins had no trouble blowing through the weak Texans’ defense at home with Tua Tagovailoa dealing well again. They are serious threats to take the AFC East away from the Bills but have a big test next against Mike McDaniel’s former team, the 49ers, in San Francisco.
USA Today
Ranking: 6 Previous: 5
Analysis: 6. Dolphins (5): The good news? Pro Bowl LT Terron Armstead’s pectoral injury apparently isn’t season-ending. The bad news? Miami is hitting the road to face pass rushers Nick Bosa, Khalil Mack and whomever Buffalo throws at them over the next three weeks.
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