The Miami Dolphins are still searching for their first win, but their latest loss in Minnesota was enough to nudge them a little closer to the middle of the pack in this week’s NFL power rankings.
Miami’s average spot across a national survey of outlets - Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, The Athletic, NFL.com, USA Today, Pro Football Talk, FOX Sports, The Sporting News and CBS Sports - came in at 31.4. That left the Dolphins just behind the Tennessee Titans at 31.3, a tiny gap that at least reflects how close Miami came to escaping the bottom spot.
Nick Shook of NFL.com was the high mark for the Dolphins, slotting them at No. 29.
The Week 5 opponent on the schedule, Cincinnati, carried an average ranking of 14.2 after its loss to Jacksonville dropped the Bengals to 2-2. Miami gets Cincinnati at home.
There’s also a broader picture here beyond one team. Five clubs opened 0-3 - Miami, Houston, Tennessee, the Los Angeles Chargers and Tampa Bay - and all five lost again in Week 4. That leaves the league with a very real possibility of no more than four winless teams after Week 5, since Houston and Tennessee play each other, Miami hosts Cincinnati, the Chargers host Denver and Tampa Bay heads to Dallas for Thursday night.
Among that group, the Chargers drew criticism for an offense that finally showed a pulse late in their loss at Seattle but only after they were already buried 27-6. Houston wasted C.J.
Stroud’s best outing of the season because its defense couldn’t slow Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Tampa Bay’s situation has become even messier with Baker Mayfield expected to miss a few more games and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels now the current option at quarterback.
Tennessee put up a fight against Baltimore but sabotaged itself with a Tony Pollard miscue that turned a shovel pass from Cam Ward into an interception.
For Miami, though, the tone around the team is shifting just a bit. The Dolphins gave themselves a chance in the fourth quarter of their last two games, and now the question is whether they can finish.
Their defense brought more energy against Minnesota, and the offense is being asked to make do with Malik Willis and Ollie Gordon II leading the way. The roster still looks thin from week to week, but the effort level has started to show up.
The commentary around Miami reflected that split between bad record and slight progress. One take said the Dolphins “haven’t led for a single minute of any game so far.”
Another noted that they “deserve a reward for pushing an undefeated (though likely overrated) Vikings team to the limit,” while also pointing out that they still “stink” and are “probably still the worst team in football.” That same assessment highlighted Ollie Gordon’s 100-yard day on nine carries, including 53 yards on one run, while also calling Malik Willis “still as bad as many of us thought he’d be.”
There was also praise for the defense’s trajectory. Miami was credited with more defensive energy in Minnesota and with playing a solid enough game to keep itself in it.
Another analysis said the Dolphins are showing signs of improvement each week, even if the offense has a very low ceiling and the team remains winless. One note on concern level said the defense looked good against the Vikings and that the team is rebuilding, but has had brief moments of hope.
Marcel Louis-Jacques pointed out that through the first two weeks, the Dolphins looked like a team not ready to compete. In Weeks 3 and 4, though, the defense pushed a pair of undefeated division leaders to the brink.
Against Minnesota, Miami recorded 17 pressures and four sacks - its first sacks of the season - while keeping the Vikings out of the end zone. First-year coach Jeff Hafley said his team is “starting to believe.”
Rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez added, “The physicality and the want-to are there. ... We've just got to learn how to win.”
Rodriguez drew more attention in the weekly notes as well, with one analyst joking, “Until Miami gets a win, this will become a Jacob Rodriguez bot account.” Another said Rodriguez belongs “right there in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation.”
There was also a reminder that the Dolphins may have been even closer than the final score suggested. One analysis said if Miami hadn’t been hurt by Chris Bell barely stepping out of bounds before catching a long touchdown and drawing an illegal touching penalty, the Dolphins might have won. Still, the result was another loss, and the offense remains difficult to watch.
At the top of the rankings, the order stayed crowded with the usual contenders: San Francisco, Kansas City, Seattle, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Baltimore and Minnesota filled the top seven, while Miami sat last at No. 32, just behind Tennessee.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Be Missing A Key Passing Game Piece Again
Caleb Douglas has been stuck on the sideline since Week 2 with an ankle injury, and the Dolphins still have not gotten him back onto the practice field. Head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday that Douglas was out but improving, which at least keeps the door open for a return soon even if the timeline remains murky.
Miami could use the help. The offense has been fighting for rhythm without Douglas, with the passing game producing limited receiving yards and passing touchdowns through the first four weeks. For a unit looking to find more consistent answers through the air, his recovery has become another important subplot to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Still Waiting On Kenneth Grant's Week 5 Reality
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For now, though, Week 5 remains unsettled. Jeff Hafley said Grants activation and playing status will depend on how he continues to respond, and no call has been made yet on whether he will suit up. Miami does have one open roster spot available, so the path is there, but the timing still matters, and the Dolphins are waiting to see whether Grant is ready soon enough to matter this week. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Will Need To Check This Weeks Unusual TV Setup
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For fans trying to find the game, the wrinkle is distribution: this one is being carried regionally, with the Dolphins-Bengals matchup shown in southern Florida and the Cincinnati area while other NFL games are spread across different networks and time slots around the state. For Miami supporters, it means a quick check of the local listings before kickoff instead of assuming the usual Sunday afternoon slot will sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]