Dolphins rise in national NFL rankings (but some still aren't convinced)
The Dolphins’ 70-20 historic romp over the Denver Broncos caught the attention of the nation. How could it not?
With it, the Dolphins have a place in pretty much everybody’s list of the top five NFL teams — but a survey of eight of the top rankings shows they’re No. 1 in only two places and have an average ranking of No. 2.5.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm and The Athletic’s Josh Kendall were the only two analysts to place Miami at the top of their weekly lists. On the flip side, Yahoo’s Frank Schwab didn’t see a reason to rank the Dolphins any higher than No. 5, which is the lowest of the eight rankings.
Schwab, for one, is taking a wait-and-see approach to this Sunday’s Dolphins-Bills showdown in Orchard Park, which will help gain clarity in the AFC East race.
“There’s no reason to believe the Dolphins are frauds,” Schwab wrote. “They look good. Clearly, their offense is a problem for other teams. But there's a big difference between beating the 1-2 Chargers, 1-2 Patriots and 0-3 Broncos and doing the same against a Bills team that has won three straight division titles.”
Here’s a sampling of what the analysts are saying about the 3-0 Dolphins:
More: Dolphins' Conga Line during win over Broncos rises to the top of NFL end zone celebrations
ESPN
1. San Francisco, 2. Miami.
Marcel Louis-Jacques: “They have four capable running backs in the NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns, Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed, Jeff Wilson Jr. — who's set to return from IR in two weeks — and now De'Von Achane — who exploded for 233 total yards and four touchdowns against the Broncos. How will they divide the workload going forward? It's likely a problem Miami isn't complaining about, but that speaks to how ironclad this offense has been through three weeks.”
NFL.com
1. Miami.
Edholm: “We should have guessed that a team averaging 30 points and 462.5 yards of offense per game on the road would really be able to cook at home. But 70 points? And 726 yards?! Imagine what the Dolphins would have done with Jaylen Waddle on the field.”
Pro Football Talk
1. San Francisco, 2. Miami.
Mike Florio: “I thought about making the Dolphins No. 1. I thought about it, I came close to it, but the 49ers looked pretty damn good on Thursday night.”
CBS
1. San Francisco, 2. Philadelphia, 3. Kansas City, 4. Miami.
Pete Prisco: “Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes, which makes him the favorite right now to win the league MVP. Hear that, Tua-anon. I just said he's the favorite to win the MVP, but I still wouldn't take him over Justin Herbert.”
Fox Sports
1. San Francisco, 2. Miami.
Bucky Brooks: “It is hard to hang 70 points on an opponent at any level, but doing it in the NFL requires near-flawless execution from the offense, defense and special teams. While the Dolphins have received solid contributions from the defense and kicking units, the spectacular offense has Mike McDaniel's team looking like a Super Bowl contender. Whether running or passing, the Dolphins can get it done with a group of world-class sprinters who can score from anywhere on the field. Given their explosiveness and big play potential, the Dolphins can turn any game into a shootout that showcases their superior talent.”
USA Today
1. San Francisco, 2. Philadelphia, 3. Miami.
Nate Davis: “Still hard to believe they put up 70 points. Just wait until they get WR Jaylen Waddle, among others, back. Still, before we crown 'em, let's acknowledge they've got some defensive issues and have done all this damage against a trio of teams that's collectively 2-7. Let's see what happens at Buffalo.”
Yahoo
1. San Francisco, 2. Philadelphia, 3. Kansas City, 4. Buffalo, 5. Miami.
Schwab: “Dolphins-Bills got awesome in a hurry. There might be more on the line Sunday than any other NFL regular-season game this season. Included in what's at stake is the Dolphins' legitimacy as one of the NFL's best teams. Or perhaps the NFL's best team.”
The Athletic
1. Miami.
Kendall: “The only thing anyone in South Florida is worried about is Tua Tagovailoa’s health. On Sunday, he had a passer rating of 155.8, the highest in any game since Matthew Stafford had a 156.1 against the Bears in 2021, according to TruMedia.”
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins rise in analysts' NFL rankings (but some want more proof)
