The Miami Dolphins’ Week 8 loss to the New England Patriots didn’t just sting on the scoreboard. It also kept them planted near the bottom of the latest Week 9 NFL power rankings, with most outlets slotting Miami in the high 20s or low 30s after Sunday’s 24-19 defeat at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins had a halftime lead in that game, but a rough third quarter turned it around fast. The loss left Miami one game out of last place in the NFL and one game out of third place in the AFC East.
USA Today Sports put the Dolphins at No. 27, unchanged from the previous week. Nate Davis wrote, “As generally bad as this 1-6 outfit has been, their schedule still very much portends a world where Miami winds up … 3-14,”
CBS Sports had Miami at No. 29, up one spot. Pete Prisco said, “I will say it every week: I love where this team is headed. They play hard and the young players seem to be improving,”
FOX Sports ranked the Dolphins No. 30, also steady. Ralph Vacchiano pointed to the halftime lead against New England and the earlier win over the Jets, writing, “The Dolphins came out of their bye and beat the Jets last week and then led the Patriots 13-3 at halftime on Sunday, and honestly that’s a lot more than I expected out of them this season.
They should get hats and T-shirts for that. No, of course it didn’t last, though they did hang tough against the Pats for most of the game.
And that, too, is more than we could have expected. They’re playing well enough that maybe, just maybe, they can see the potential for two more wins with the Colts and the Jets (again) on their schedule in November,”
The Athletic slotted Miami at No. 28, down one. Chad Graff and Josh Kendall wrote, “It’s a good thing the Dolphins are getting used to playing a lot of rookies this year because they almost certainly are going to have another one playing quarterback next year.
First-year head coach Jeff Hafley was given a team built to compete for the 2027 No. 1 pick, and it’s on track to do just that while showing some flashes of hope. Miami’s last three losses have been by one score,”
Yahoo! Sports placed the Dolphins at No. 29, down one.
Frank Schwab focused on possible roster movement, writing, “Sieler has been a productive defensive tackle for many years, but he's also 31 years old. Still, the Dolphins haven't entertained trade talks for him, according to SI.com.
Miami is in full rebuild mode and while Sieler helps the Dolphins now, a 1-6 team should be looking for the future, and trading a 31-year-old defensive lineman who still would have plenty of trade value makes sense. We'll see what the Dolphins do.
Trading offensive tackle Austin Jackson has also been speculated, and teams are always looking for line help. The stripped-down Dolphins roster doesn't have a lot of attractive veteran trade candidates, which makes the decision on Sieler that much more important,”
Sports Illustrated had Miami at No. 31, down one. Connor Orr wrote, “Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has been quietly compiling some strong performances over the past two weeks.
Following in the Kyle Shanahan mold, he’s also been offsetting his backs and playing with some interesting backfield setups that have generated above-average rushing performances. Miami has cleanly fit what we expected of Jeff Hafley in Year 1: functional and more difficult to play than expected,”
Bleacher Report ranked the Dolphins No. 29, up one. Gary Davenport wrote, “There are no moral victories in the NFL.
And given that the Dolphins held a 13-3 lead over the Patriots at halftime Sunday, the team no doubt feels like this one got away from them. But given how these Dolphins looked earlier in the season, there is progress being made in Miami-even if it's only incremental.
"Perhaps most importantly for the Dolphins, after a rough start to his first season with the team, Malik Willis has looked better the last few weeks-he threw for 211 yards and two scores against the Pats and posted a passer rating north of 90. In some respects, this may be the best-case scenario for the Dolphins.
They can use the remaining games to evaluate their young players, with draft position a secondary consideration. Because if Miami believes in Willis, bringing wide receiver Jeremiah Smith back to Florida wouldn't be the worst way to start the 2027 draft,”
ESPN put Miami at No. 31, down one.
In Other News...
Dolphins New Staff Is Changing Everything About Chris Griers Draft Legacy
The Dolphins are still living with the draft footprint left behind by former general manager Chris Grier, but the picture around that group is starting to look different under the current coaching staff. Miami has 13 remaining draft picks from Griers tenure, and six of them are now starting in the 2026 season, giving the organization a steady stream of young players whose development will keep shaping the roster for a while.
Under Jeff Hafley and the current staff, several of those holdovers have taken clear steps forward, including Jonah Savaiinaea, Malik Washington, Chop Robinson and Dante Trader. The broader question for Miami is whether that trend can keep building, because not every name from Griers draft history has followed the same path, and the gap between the players who are flourishing and the ones who have not is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Jonah Savaiinaea Is Making The Dolphins Rethink A Major Concern
Jonah Savaiinaea has gone from a question mark to one of the more encouraging developments on the Dolphins offensive line this season. After a rocky rookie year, the guard has looked far more settled in 2025, showing the kind of steady play Miami has been searching for as it tries to firm up protection and keep its offense on schedule.
The progress has not happened in a vacuum. A different coaching voice and a more demanding schematic approach under Jeff Hafley appear to have pushed Savaiinaea in the right direction, and the early results are hard to ignore. For a team that entered the year with real concern about the interior line, his growth is starting to make that problem look a little less urgent. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookie Rotation Suddenly Raises Questions On Both Sides
The Dolphins rookie usage against New England offered a clear look at how thin the margins can get in a single game. With Kadyn Proctor out because of a concussion, Miami had to shuffle its options up front, while backup quarterback Kyle McCord and offensive lineman Andrew Meyer were active but never got onto the field. On offense, Caleb Douglas ended up carrying the heaviest rookie load, logging the most snaps among the first-year group as the Dolphins leaned on younger depth in key spots.
Will Kacmareks role was far more limited, and his reduced workload stood out in a game where the rookie rotation was already in flux. On the other side of the ball, four defenders played every snap, Kyle Louis returned from injury for a season-high workload, and new additions Chukwuebuka Godrick and Kaytron Allen both made their first appearances of the season in brief cameos. For Miami, the bigger question is how these pieces fit once the roster is closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]