All Dolphins

Dolphins Week 18 Power Rankings Roundup

How the national media stacks the Miami Dolphins following their 20-3 victory against the Cleveland Browns

Alain Poupart

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) scores a touchdown as Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (9) defends during the second half at Huntington Bank Field.
Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) scores a touchdown as Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (9) defends during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In this story:

While it wasn't necessarily a dominating performance, the Miami Dolphins did what they needed to do to keep themselves in the AFC playoff picture with their victory against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.

The 20-3 victory kept the Dolphins alive, though they'll need help from the Kansas City Chiefs along with a victory against the New York Jets on Sunday.

The Dolphins remain pretty much a middle-of-the-pack team for 2024, at least based on the national media 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 this week was at 17.9, up from 18.5 after the Week 16 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Dolphins rankings ranged from 16 to 20. The biggest jump this week came from CBS Sports (from 22 to 18), while four outlets kept the Dolphins in the same position and Monday Morning Quarterback of Sports Illustrated dropped them four spots.

Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 10 power rankings spots heading into Week 18 of the 2024 regular season, along with the associated commentary.

MIAMI DOLPHINS POWER RANKINGS

Sports Illustrated

Ranking: 13

Last Week: 17

Analysis: I actually thought Tyler Huntley saw the field pretty well against the Browns. It helps when every single one of your throws to Tyreek Hill are completed and all but two of them aren’t really contested all that much. Cleveland didn’t show much of an interest in trying to remove Miami’s best playmaker from the equation. 

Pro Football Talk

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 20

Analysis: Winning in Cleveland against a tanking Browns team changes a grand total of zero narratives.

CBS Sports

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 22

Analysis: They are still alive after beating Cleveland without Tua Tagovailoa. But they need to beat the Jets and get help. Tagovailoa's health is still an issue.

NFL.com

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 18

Analysis:  Tua Tagovailoa's status remains uncertain for Week 18, as the Dolphins cling to lean playoff hopes. Tyler Huntley did his job filling in for an injured Tua on Sunday, racking up more passing yards by halftime against the Browns than he had in the entirety of two of his three earlier starts. It was needed on a day when Miami's run game disappeared a bit. But the Dolphins certainly hope that Tagovailoa can find a way to work through his hip injury and play on Sunday against a battered Jets team that might be ready to turn the page to 2025. Huntley has shown he can get the job done in a pinch, and even though it's obvious Tua's the better option, it will be fascinating to see how this plays out this week. Mike McDaniel deserves credit for getting his team through some dark days this season, but it's going to take some luck for things to brighten up significantly with a playoff berth.

The Ringer

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 17

Analysis: There’s been a lot to like about this iteration of the Dolphins on both sides of the ball. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has pieced together an above-average unit in spite of injuries and age, and the offense has found answers in the second half of the season. Still, Miami’s losses to the Texans and Packers were instructive in setting a ceiling on this team, even if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were to fully recover from his hip injury by wild-card weekend. We’ve seen this team flail hopelessly in the playoffs before. Frankly, I don’t need to see it again.

USA Today Sports

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 21

Analysis: Be nice to have QB Tua Tagovailoa (hip) back Sunday, but the Dolphins are 12-2 in their last 14 games against the Jets with a variety of passers.

Pro Football Network

Ranking: 20

Last Week: 20

Analysis: The Dolphins survived in Week 17, defeating the Browns in Cleveland without Tua Tagovailoa. Miami has to win its final game and get to 9-8 to have any shot at playing more football, but it also needs Denver to lose in Week 18. The good news is if the Dolphins and Broncos are both 9-8, Miami will win the conference record tiebreaker. Also, it doesn’t have to worry about the Bengals, as it has the tiebreaker advantage. Miami also got a break this week with the Colts’ shocking loss to the Giants, eliminating Indianapolis from the playoffs.

The Athletic

Ranking: 19

Last Week: 20

Analysis on what's next, paying a backup quarterback: Miami is committed to Tua Tagovailoa, but he has played only 11 games this year because of injury. He missed Sunday with a hip injury, and he has played more than 13 games in a season just once in his five-year career. Tyler Huntley was good enough to beat the reeling Browns on Sunday, and Miami is now 2-3 without Tua this season. The Dolphins need to invest in a backup who can help them through the inevitable moments they’ll be without Tagovailoa.

Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 16

Last Week: 16

Analysis: The Dolphins, not the Bengals, are in the best position to take advantage of a Broncos loss. If the Dolphins win and Broncos lose, Miami is in the playoffs. And the Dolphins face a bad Jets team on Sunday, albeit on the road and maybe without Tua Tagovailoa.

Bleacher Report

Ranking: 18

Last Week: 18

Analysis: No Tua Tagovailoa? No problem. The Dolphins handled business Sunday against the Cleveland Browns with Tyler Huntley behind center. In doing so, Miami kept its playoff hopes alive. Granted, the Dolphins must win next weekend and get help from the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, Tagovailoa and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle could be back for the regular-season finale, which bodes well for the squad. Considering the injuries and slow start Miami endured this season, a shot at the postseason is more than the team could have hoped for two months ago.

DOLPHINS OPPONENT RANKING

For the record, the Dolphins' upcoming opponent, the New York Jets, has an average ranking of 26.6, with a high of 24 and a low of 31.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

Home/News