Miami Dolphins Week 9 Power Rankings Roundup
The Miami Dolphins made it two in a row with their 31-27 victory against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field after overcoming deficits of 14-0 and 21-7, and in the process climbed higher in the national power rankings.
They also continued to shrink the disparity of opinion with their range in the 10 national power rankings we survey now at 7 to 12, compared to 7 to 14 after Week 7 and an eye-opening gap of 8 to 23 after their Week 6 at Minnesota.
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 8.7 among the 32 NFL teams, down from their average of 9.5 after Week 7.
Here’s the breakdown of the Dolphins’ 10 power rankings spots, along with the commentary associated with it:
CBS Sports
Ranking: 7 Previous: 10
Analysis: The passing game has been outstanding with Tua Tagovailoa on the field. The track-meet speed receivers make it easy on him.
NFL.com
Ranking: 12 Previous: 14
Analysis: The Dolphins have a healthy quarterback and seem to have rediscovered their happy place. Miami won for the second straight week, piling up 476 yards of offense in a 31-27 victory over the Lions at Ford Field. We suspected Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle would create a nightmare scenario for defensive coordinators, but this is just ridiculous: Hill and Waddle have combined for 1,688 receiving yards in the first seven games of 2022, the most by a teammate duo in the first eight games of the Super Bowl era. Hill is on pace for 2,042 yards, which would shatter the all-time single season mark currently held by Hall of Fame Lions wideout Calvin Johnson (1,964 yards in 2012). As for Waddle? He’s on pace for 1,545 yards and 11 touchdowns. Slacker.
The Athletic
Ranking: 8 Previous: 9
Analysis: Fact: Through eight games, Tyreek Hill is on pace for 2,042 receiving yards, which would top Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 in 2012. Hill would benefit from a 17th game, of course. His 120.1 receiving yards per game are just a tick behind Johnson’s 122.8. Opinion: No team in the league has a wider disparity between its rankings on the list of most fun to watch and most ethically trustworthy organizations.
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 10 Previous: 12
Analysis: Tyreek Hill has gotten his wish to produce like Cooper Kupp in 2021. Can the Dolphins produce like the Rams did, too?
Yahoo Sports
Ranking: 7 Previous: 8
Analysis: Another reminder: The Dolphins are 5-0 in games that Tua Tagovailoa has started and finished, including a win over the Super Bowl favorite Bills. Tyreek Hill might be having a record-setting season, Jaylen Waddle is a great No. 2 and the Dolphins are a lot more dangerous than they’re being given credit for.
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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM.
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Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 9 Previous: 13
Analysis: This team is impossible to beat in a shootout, and Tua Tagovailoa is still playing the best football of his career. I have been impressed at his ability to find Tyreek Hill—who is not considered by some coaches to be an elite route runner—on more precision throws that aren’t speed-dominant.
ESPN
Ranking: 7 Previous: 10
Analysis (on the reason for hope, Tua Tagovailoa): It is amazing to think that one year ago, the conversation surrounding Tagovailoa focused on whether the Dolphins would trade for another quarterback. In his third season, he has made those arguments look silly. He leads the NFL in quarterback rating and ranks third in completion percentage, fourth in touchdown-to-interception ratio and seventh in passing touchdowns despite missing two full games. Miami’s offense ranks sixth in the NFL in yards per game, due in large part to the play of its quarterback.
The Ringer
Ranking: 7 Previous: 7
Analysis: Tua Tagovailoa was bailed out by dropped would-be interceptions against the Steelers in Week 7 but bounced back in a big way on Sunday. He completed more than 80 percent of his passes in a 382-yard, three-touchdown performance against a bad Lions defense in Week 8. Due in large part to the successes of a historic receiving duo in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa now leads the league in EPA per attempt (1.04) and completion percentage (61.0) on throws of 15 or more air yards. Now, EPA doesn’t penalize Tagovailoa for those throws that should have been picked, but Tagovailoa’s efficiency at the helm of Mike McDaniel’s high-powered offense is still among the league’s best.
The Sporting News
Ranking: 12 Previous: 13
Analysis: The Dolphins started slowly in Detroit but got up to speed quickly with plenty of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Tua Tagovailoa is playing better again removed from his injuries and the defense pulled off the right containment late.
USA Today
Ranking: 8 Previous: 9
Analysis: Maintain his current pace, and WR Tyreek Hill will become the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 receiving yards (2,042).
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