Dolphins Week 16 Power Rankings Roundup

The Miami Dolphins just about fell out of the AFC playoff picture with their loss against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The 20-12 loss at NRG Stadium again showed a team coming up short in big moments, though the drop in national power rankings wasn't that significant.

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' average ranking was 19.6, down from 18.2 after the Week 15 overtime victory against the New York Jets.

The Dolphins rankings ranged from 17 to 22. The biggest drop came from The Athletic (16 to 20), while The Ringer actually moved up the Dolphins from 20 to 19.

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: 20

Last Week: 17

Analysis: The other side of the Derek Stingley coin for Miami: I was struck at Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday. In watching some of those same Stingley coverage snaps a second time and freeze-framing the all-22 videos at various points in the progression, one can see what Mike McDaniel was going for. There were plays that were clearly conflicting two defenders and provided open swaths of space, but with a late throw from Tagovailoa—or for some reason a throw at slower speed—the play was dead on arrival. I was surprised to see Tagovailoa at only a –0.9 completion percentage below expectation, as it felt worse to me. 

Pro Football Talk

Ranking: 22

Last Week: 19

Analysis: Tua has found his ceiling. And they can’t do much about it until 2027.

CBS Sports

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 18

Analysis: They are basically done now after losing to the Texans. Tua Tagovailoa had a rough day on a stage where they needed him to be better.

NFL.com

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 19

Analysis:  Their playoff chances are in the single-digit percentages after their second straight road loss, and it's easy -- and fair -- to start with the play ofTua Tagovailoa. He was at least partially responsible for all four of his turnovers, which was really the difference in the one-score loss at Houston. He's been mostly very good, having thrown only one interception in the previous seven games since returning from injury, but Sunday was a tough one. That said, the Dolphins' run game was also a mess, and it has been for more than a month. One of the biggest problems Miami’s had during this seesaw season has been the inability to play a strong three-phase game, a shortcoming which reared its ugly head again Sunday. The defense was mostly very good, but the offense had trouble moving the ball with any consistency -- or even hanging onto it.

The Ringer

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 20

Analysis: There’s a lot to like about the designs of Mike McDaniel’s offense, the way he’s hired and built his staff, and how he’s maximized the play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa over the past three seasons. It’s clear that McDaniel knows what he’s doing on a whiteboard — but more and more, it seems like his prowess stops there. It’s impossible to rationalize McDaniel’s 6-15 record against teams at or above .500, how often he’s been outcoached in big moments, and how poorly his team responds to physicality or non-ideal playing circumstances. The Texans owned the Dolphins in every facet of Sunday’s game, and the loss effectively closed Miami’s back door into the AFC playoffs. 

USA Today Sports

Ranking: 22

Last Week: 20

Analysis: Seems like having a player such as OBJ might have helped in a must-win affair like Sunday's?

Pro Football Network

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 18

Analysis: After winning four of their last five games, the Dolphins dropped their Week 15 contest to the Texans, which will make it significantly harder for them to sneak into the playoffs. This was a rough game, as Tua Tagovailoa completed 29 of 40 passes for 196 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, De’Von Achane rushed for just 41 yards, and Tyreek Hill caught just two passes for 36 yards. Meanwhile, Jaylen Waddle didn’t catch a pass and left this game with a knee injury. After Sunday’s loss, Miami now has just a 21.3% chance of making the postseason.

The Athletic

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 20

Analysis on team MVP, QB Tua Tagovailoa: Granted, it didn’t particularly look like it on Sunday. Tagovailoa threw three interceptions and lost a fumble against the Texans, nearly doubling his interception total for the season to seven. Still, he’s top five in the league in EPA per dropback (.21), and none of his Miami teammates are giving him much competition for this recognition.Tyreek Hill is 24th in the league in receiving yards (805).

Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 16

Analysis: Tyreek Hill had two catches for 36 yards in a loss on Sunday. Since posting 130 yards in the opener, he’s averaging 51.9 yards per game and 11.3 yards per catch. He averaged 112.4 yards per game and 15.1 per catch last season. It’s a troubling downturn at age 30.

Bleacher Report

Ranking: 17

Last Week: 17

Analysis: The Miami Dolphins headed into Week 15 winners of four of five as they tried to scratch and claw their way back into the playoff conversation. They left Houston a 6-8 team on the brink of playoff elimination. The Texans defense held Miami's star-studded offense under 225 total yards, but the real story of Sunday's loss was turnovers. Miami doesn't face another team with a winning record the rest of the season. But even three more wins could be too little, too late—unless the Dolphins have several things break their way.

DOLPHINS OPPONENT RANKING

For the record, the Dolphins' upcoming opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, has an average ranking of 18.6, with a high of 16 and a low of 21.