Dolphins 2023 Week 6 Power Rankings Roundup
It's obviously tougher to climb up the closer you are to the top when it comes to the NFL power rankings, as evidenced by what happened with the Miami Dolphins this week.
After dropping an average of slightly more than three spots following their loss at Buffalo in our weekly survey of 12 national outlets — CBS Sports, NFL.com, Pro Football Network, The Sporting News, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, The 33rd Team, Touchdown Wire, The Score, Yahoo and FOX Sports — the Dolphins bounced back after their convincing 31-16 victory against the New York Giants, but only by an average of slightly more than one spot.
The Dolphins' average ranking heading into Week 6 came in at 4.3 this week, down from the 5.6 after the Buffalo game.
The Dolphins' ranking ranged from a high of 2 (The Score) to a low of 6.
Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' 12 power rankings spots, along with the commentary associated with it:
CBS Sports
Ranking: 4 Previous: 7
Analysis: The Giants were the perfect tonic to get back on track after the Bills blowout a week before. The defense came up big against a bad Giants offense, but that was needed.
NFL.com
Ranking: 4 Previous: 6
Analysis: This wasn't Tua Tagovailoa's best outing, with his pick-six making it appear to be a much closer game than it really was. The Dolphins' supporting cast is so good, though, that they still beat the Giants comfortably. Tyreek Hill is on pace for 2,213 receiving yards, which is almost 250 yards more than Calvin Johnson's current single-season NFL record (1,964). That's great, but the news that De'Von Achane (seven TDs in four games) will miss multiple weeks with a knee injury stings. Thankfully, the defense came up with the kind of performance on Sunday that should boost its confidence, even taking into account the star-crossed nature of the Giants' offense. Vic Fangio's bunch needed that after being worked over in Week 4 by the Bills. Miami gets a wounded Panthers team in Week 6. Then the fun really starts before the Week 10 bye: at the Eagles in Week 7, vs. the Patriots in Week 8 and at the Chiefs in Week 9.
Touchdown Wire
Ranking: 4 Previous: 4
Analysis: The Dolphins’ offense got back on track by beating a dreadful Giants team. The only reason the score was as close as it was (which still wasn’t close at all) is thanks to a pick-six for New York off a deflected pass. Miami’s offense is one of the best in NFL history through five weeks, but we need to see them beat a really good team.
The Score
Ranking: 2 Previous: 3
Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 6 Previous: 7
Analysis: Two aspects of this win worth mentioning. The first? Tua Tagovailoa has been getting so much better at making the right decisions when the play breaks down. He is not simply an over-schemed quarterback having success. Second? Butch Barry has made a huge difference with this offensive line. We are fascinated with the Dolphins busting long runs. We are less likely to point out that the holes are there up front.
The 33rd Team
Ranking: 5 Previous: 5
Analysis: We know the Miami Dolphins have a historically dangerous offense filled with elite speedsters. It’s hard to give a team this talented much credit for beating the Giants at home. Miami is in the same situation this week when it plays host to Carolina, the only team that might be worse than New York. The Dolphins’ next real test comes in Week 7 when they head to Philadelphia. We’ll find out then if Miami has become a more complete football team since its decisive loss to Buffalo.
Pro Football Network
Ranking: 5 Previous: 6
Analysis: De’Von Achane is averaging over 10 yards per run … for the season. The Dolphins are unfairly fast. They own a majority of the fastest ball-carrier speeds within the top 10 this season, and the speed never ends. Even on a day where Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions, the offense averaged over 10 yards per play with about nine minutes remaining in the game. The offense is unfair. They just need their defense to show up against quality offensive opponents.
The Sporting News
Ranking: 4 Previous: 7
Analysis: The Dolphins turned another home game into a track meet even with a slightly off afternoon for Tua Tagovailoa. It's not fair they can run De'Von Achane up and down the field with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert now.
USA Today
Ranking: 6 Previous: 7
Analysis: How fast is Miami? Per Next Gen Stats, the Fins have produced the five top speeds among all plays this season and seven of the top nine. WR Tyreek Hill and RBs De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert are responsible for them (and WR Jaylen Waddle has also cracked the top 20). Big-play Achane is averaging a ridiculous 12.1 yards per carry and 115.0 rushing yards per game, both figures best in the NFL. But seems likely a knee injury will force veteran Jeff Wilson to spot Achane in the coming weeks.
The Athletic
Ranking: 3 Previous: 4
Analysis: Miami might have missed on second-round cornerback Cam Smith, but the Dolphins made up for it with third-round pick De’Von Achane. After totaling 5 yards in the first two games of the season, the rookie running back leads the NFL with 455 rushing yards in the last three weeks. He’s averaging 12.3 yards per carry in that time and has two of the three fastest speeds in the NFL this year (21.93 mph and 21.76 mph), according to NextGen Stats.
Yahoo
Ranking: 5 Previous: 6
Analysis: Not to pour cold water on anything, but the Dolphins' two offensive explosions have come against the Broncos and Giants, two of the worst teams in the NFL. They're fun, fast and very good, but I'm holding off on "Greatest Show on Turf" comparisons until they put up 500 yards on a good defense. Still, it's a great start and Miami is must-watch TV.
FOX Sports
Ranking: 3 Previous: 4
Analysis: Everyone and their mother knows about the Dolphins' passing game, but the run game has become equally terrifying. Hopefully De'Von Achane's knee injury is minor, because he's officially a star in my book. Plus, it's nice to know the Dolphins have something to turn to if the opposition can disrupt Tua's timing.
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