Dolphins Week 17 Power Rankings Roundup

How the national media stacks the Miami Dolphins following their 29-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers

Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) attempts to tackle San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins kept their faint playoff hopes alive with their Week 16 victory against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium, coming up with the big defensive stand at the end after the defending NFC champions.

As with their loss at Houston the previous week, the 29-17 victory against the 49ers didn't move the needle very much in the national power rankings.

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 18.5, up from 19.3 after the Week 16 loss at Houston.

The Dolphins rankings ranged from 13 to 22. The biggest jump came from the Monday Morning Quarterback of Sports Illustrated (13 to 20), but two outlets actually dropped the Dolphins a few spots after their victory.

Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 10 power rankings spots heading into Week 17 of the 2024 regular season, along with the associated commentary.

MIAMI DOLPHINS POWER RANKINGS

Sports Illustrated

Ranking: 13

Last Week: 20

Analysis (on useful holiday gift): A Mike McDaniel contract extension. 

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Pro Football Talk

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 22

Analysis: They still have a chance to make a quick playoff exit.

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CBS Sports

Ranking: 22

Last Week: 19

Analysis: They are still alive after beating the 49ers, but barely. They ran the ball in that game as well as they have all season, which keyed the victory.

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NFL.com

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 19

Analysis:  Playing without Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins dida gainst the 49ers what they often have done this season: force-feed tight end Jonnu Smith and running back De'Von Achane as pass catchers. They are Miami's co-leaders in receptions for the season, having logged 76 each, blasting past their previous career highs in that category. Achane also had his best rushing game of 2024 by far, which was a nice development. Tyreek Hill remains the Dolphins' leading receiver, and though he missed hauling in a few deep balls Sunday, he registered his fifth touchdown catch since Week 10 in the second quarter, giving Miami a lead it wouldn't give up. The game was tight throughout, withJason Sanders going 5-for-5 on field goals for the fourth time in his career. The Fins have let a few games slip through their fingers since Tua Tagovailoa returned to the lineup, and they'll likely ponder those in the offseason. Still, they have played better football of late and maintaina sliver of a playoff shot.

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The Ringer

Ranking: 17

Last Week: 19

Analysis: This is a personal gripe of mine (and Dolphins fans are well within their right to call me a hater for it), but this current iteration of Miami’s offense is as entertaining to watch as the Air Raid in college football or the Houston Rockets in the James Harden era. Efficiency just isn’t fun to watch. Every intermediate throw comes off of the same foundation, the offensive line is too porous to do anything other than perimeter runs, and Tua Tagovailoa’s lack of arm talent puts a cap on this passing game — and that’s a shame given how much speed is all over the field. I would never debate the merits of running an offense built on efficiency through the easiest means possible, but I sure as hell don’t enjoy watching it.

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USA Today Sports

Ranking: 21

Last Week: 22

Analysis: The last time WR Tyreek Hill played a full season and didn't reach 1,000 receiving yards was 2016 – when he was a rookie who started one game.

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Pro Football Network

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 18

Analysis: With their Week 16 win over the 49ers, the Dolphins have now won five of their last seven games, but it may be too little, too late. Miami has just a 3.8% chance of making the playoffs, as they need a ton of help from other teams to sneak in. Had Tua Tagovailoa stayed healthy all season, who knows what the Dolphins could have achieved this season? But injuries are obviously part of the game, and now it’s looking very likely that Miami will miss the postseason.

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The Athletic

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 20

Analysis on the big question, is Mike McDaniel the right guy?: The Dolphins still have a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs, but Calais Campbell was in the locker room Sunday explaining how he might be released to sign with a contender once the postseason elimination becomes official. “It’s definitely something you think about,” Campbell said. The Dolphins have played in two playoff games under McDaniel — both Super Wild Card Weekend losses — and they are 6-9 under him in December and January regular-season games even after Sunday’s win.

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Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 18

Analysis: Rookie Chop Robinson's emergence has been huge for the Dolphins. Through October he didn't have a sack. In the past eight games, he has six sacks, including another one on Sunday vs. the 49ers. That's a promising development for the first-rounder.

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Bleacher Report

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 16

Analysis: After losing to the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, the Miami Dolphins were a 2-6 mess of a football team headed nowhere fast. Now, after winning five of seven, Miami is within a game of .500 for the first time since Week 3 and are still alive in the AFC playoff hunt. With games left against the lowly Jets and Browns, there's a real chance the Dolphins will finish the season 9-8. The question is whether that will good enough to get the team into the postseason tournament.

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DOLPHINS OPPONENT RANKING

For the record, the Dolphins' upcoming opponent, the Cleveland Browns, has an average ranking of 28.2, with a high of 25 and a low of 30.