Dolphins Week 9 Power Rankings Roundup

How the national media stacks the Miami Dolphins following their 28-27 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) runs with the football against Miami Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith (24) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins' heartbreaking 28-27 loss against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday spoiled what previously looked to have been a successful return to the lineup for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The loss dropped the Dolphins to 2-5 on the season, leaving them with even less wiggle room if they are to make a push for a third consecuive playoff berth.

Despite the loss against the Cardinals, the Dolphins barely moved in the national power rankings, though they remain firmly in the bottom third of the league.

Based on our survey of NFL power rankings from 10 national outlets—Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, NFL.com, The Ringer, USA Today, The Sporting News, The Athletic, Yahoo! Sports, and Bleacher Report — the Dolphins dropped only an average of 0.1 points.

The Dolphins' average ranking went from 25.0 to 25.1, with a high of 23 (Yahoo! Sports) and a low of 30 (CBS Sports). The Dolphins even moved up in four of the rankings.

Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' ten power rankings spots heading into Week 9 of the 2024 regular season, along with the associated commentary.

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MIAMI DOLPHINS POWER RANKINGS

Sports Illustrated

Ranking: 24

Last week: 25

Analysis: The Dolphins lost, but did anyone else feel the world restored when watching Tua Tagovailoa perform roughly four perfectly coordinated backfield handoffs amid a flurry of motion and hit fullback Alec Ingold for a first down on a wide-open swing pass?, Anyway, I thought the Dolphins were a Jordan Poyer pick away from putting Arizona out on Sunday. Poyer just missed a Kyler Murray toss (a tough angle, not blaming Poyer) and a few plays later, a ball rockets off Tagovailoa’s hands and through the back of the end zone. 

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Pro Football Talk

Ranking: 26

Last week: 25

Analysis: The season might come down to Sunday’s game at Buffalo.

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CBS Sports

Ranking: 30

Last week: 29

Analysis:  That was a horrible home loss to the Cardinals on the day Tua Tagovailoa returned to the lineup. They are in big trouble as they head out to face the Bills this week.

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NFL.com

Ranking: 23

Last week: 26

Analysis: Tua Tagovailoa's return to action after missing four games with a concussion was an overwhelming success in the sense that he played well, clearly didn't suffer from rustiness, and took only three hits and one sack in his 38-pass outing. If it's wins you’re looking for, though, then Sunday wasn't quite as positive, as the Dolphins were handed a fifth loss in their last six games. There were still a few offensive hiccups here and there, and don't forget Aaron Brewer's high shotgun snap over Tua's head, which led to an Arizona safety that got the Cardinals back in the game. But all in all, the operation with Tagovailoa at QB was night and day different from how things went under any of his replacements during his absence. Miami’s pass defense just happened to have its worst game of the season, even while pressuring Kyler Murray at a decent rate.

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The Ringer

Ranking: 25

Last week: 24

Analysis:  With Tua Tagovailoa back after his September concussion, this passing game was back to its usual mode of operation. Tagovailoa got the ball out of his hands at a faster rate than any quarterback in the league in Week 8, needing a season-low 2.23 seconds to throw. That type of speed might help protect the quarterback from hits, but it makes it difficult for routes to develop. The Dolphins just can’t seem to get the same kind of intermediate throws they used to, and the yards after the catch on short throws simply aren’t as impactful as in the past. That Tagovailoa struggled to find explosive downfield throws against a bad Arizona defense is a sign that there are deep issues in this offensive scheme.

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USA Today Sports

Ranking: 24

Last week: 24

Analysis: The league's lowest-scoring offense naturally operates at a much higher level with QB Tua Tagovailoa on the field. Yet, oddly, the defense allows more than five points fewer per game when Tagovailoa doesn't play.

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The Sporting News

Ranking: 23

Last week: 24

Analysis: The Dolphins saw their entire offense wake up from Tua Tagavoiloa, with the running backs doing the most damage to steal the show from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Unfortunately, Miami's pass defense went into the tank versus Kyler Murray.

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The Athletic

Ranking: 29

Last week: 27

Analysis: The Dolphins have made headlines throughout the Mike McDaniel era (which is now two and a half seasons long) with a splashy and fun offense, but it’s worth wondering how much long-term success that’s going to yield. Tua Tagovailoa returned Sunday and the Dolphins gained 377 yards and converted 11 of 15 third downs and still lost. Miami has lost in the wild-card round in both full seasons under McDaniel and will be fortunate to make the postseason this year.

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Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 24

Last week: 23

Analysis: What a disheartening loss. The Dolphins had Tua Tagovailoa back and if they win Sunday at home vs. the Cardinals, a 3-4 record wouldn’t have been bad. Blowing a fourth-quarter lead and losing is a big blow.

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Bleacher Report

Ranking: 24

Last week: 27

Analysis: The good news for the Miami Dolphins is the team got quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back Sunday and scored their most points of the season. The bad news is Miami didn't score as many points as Arizona, and at 2-5, the Dolphins' chances of making a playoff run are rapidly dwindling.

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DOLPHINS OPPONENT RANKING

For the record, the Dolphins' upcoming opponent, the Buffalo Bills, has an average ranking of 3.3, and is ranked third or fourth in all ten outlets.