2018 NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Dolphins tumble in weekly roundup

The Miami Dolphins took a beating on Sunday, losing to the New England Patriots 38-7. It was an embarrassment of a game for the South Florida franchise, especially when it could have given the team a 4-0 start for the first time since 1995 and a three-game lead in the AFC East after just four weeks. It felt like the Dolphins never got off the plane, with the Patriots punching them in the mouth from the start of the first quarter through to Brock Osweiler replacing Ryan Tannehill at quarterback in the fourth quarter as Miami signaled surrender.

The 2018 NFL Power Rankings from around the web are not likely to be kind to the Dolphins, even as they hold on to their one-game lead in the AFC East heading into Week 5.

Below, you will find the Week 5 power rankings for the Dolphins, along with the change from last week and any write up if there was one. At the bottom of the page, we take a look at the highest single week and average ranking for Miami this year, as well as the lowest for both of those.

SB Nation - Rebecca Toback

This week: 13

Change: Down 8

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Niners Nation - David Fucillo

This week: 10

Change: Down 6

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Bleeding Green Nation - Brandon Lee Gowton

This week: 16

Change: Down 12

Who would’ve guessed the Dolphins were fraudulent? Just about everyone. Yup. Not like I had them high my power rankings last week.

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NFL.com - Elliot Harrison

This week: 17

Change: Down 7

Uh ... OK ... How to start this blurb ... Dolphins fans have been all over your friendly writer for picking against them. (I have twice: at the Jets in Week 2, and this past Sunday in Foxborough.) Bottom line: If the Fins belong among the elite, the top five, then they have to do better than being down 38-zip in the fourth quarter, giving Brock Osweiler some snaps. That 172 spot the offense posted in the “Total Yards” box was putrid -- especially coming against a defense that stunk in Detroit one week prior. Flipper would have been pissed.

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ESPN

This week: 14

Change: Down 6

Rookie snaps leader: DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, 230 snaps out of 279 (82.4 percent). When Fitzpatrick is not on the field, Dolphins opponents complete 71 percent of their passes, compared with 61 percent with him on the field. -- Joey Koontz

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CBS Sports - Pete Prisco

This week: 12

Change: Down 8

Which team are they? The one that opened 3-1 or the one that got blown out by the Patriots last week? We’ll know after they play the Bengals this week.

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Yahoo! Sports - Frank Schwab

This week: 16

Change: Down 7

I didn’t want to put the Dolphins even as high as ninth last week, but you can’t justify putting one of three 3-0 teams too low. But if you want comedy, remember that the Dolphins were trailing 38-0 with less than 100 yards of total offense in the fourth quarter, and then look how mad the Dolphins fans were last week when I said I didn’t think they weren’t a top-five NFL team. Funny stuff.

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Sporting News - Vinnie Iyer

This week: 16

Change: Down 10

The Dolphins saw their undefeated run end quickly in New England. We’re back to more head-scratching with Adam Gase.

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USA Today - Nate Davis

This week: 18

Change: Down 9

To quote George Bush 43: “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” You owe us the apology, Miami.

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Bleacher Report - NFL Staff

This week: 21

Change: Down 1

Despite their 3-0 record, the Miami Dolphins didn’t get a ton of respect from the analysts here at Bleacher Report last week—the team barely made it inside the top 20 in these rankings.

As it turns out, the fellas were on to something.

Presented with the opportunity to open an unthinkable three-game lead over the Patriots in the AFC East, the Dolphins laid a big fat egg at Gillette Stadium. The Dolphins got blasted. Waxed. Embarrassed in every way imaginable.

Name a category, and the Dolphins were dominated in it. The team was outgained 449-172 and lost the time-of-possession battle by almost 13 minutes. Miami’s pass rush couldn’t get close to Tom Brady, and the ‘Fins spotted New England a 24-0 lead at intermission.

Ryan Tannehill was 11-of-20 for just 100 yards. His 10 drives under center resulted in seven punts, two turnovers and the end of the half. None of those drives were longer than five plays.

About the only thing the Dolphins had more of than the Patriots was penalties—10 for 89 yards.

As Gagnon said, it was a sobering reality check.

”That dud performance in New England was a stark reminder that the Dolphins are still a bridesmaid at best in the AFC East,” he said. “Their reputation was inflated by three one-score victories over beatable teams, with two of those wins coming at home. We were reminded on Sunday that this is a team that was so-so even before losing/waving goodbye to its best offensive player in Jarvis Landry and its best defensive player in Ndamukong Suh.”

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The Washington Post - Mark Maske

This week: 15

Change: Down 7

Never make too much of one game. But in this case, it’s tough to avoid believing the Dolphins might have been exposed as AFC East pretenders rather than contenders on Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.

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Sports Illustrated/MMQB - MMQB Staff

This week: 18

Change: Down 9

Welp.

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Fansided - Matt Verderame

This week: 18

Change: Down 2

Oh dear God, what was that?

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2018 Season

Change in average from last week: Down 6.7

Highest Weekly Ranking: Week 4 - Niners Nation / Bleeding Green Nation / CBS Sports - 4

Highest Average Ranking: Week 4 - 9.0

Lowest Weekly Ranking: Week 1 - ESPN - 32

Lowest Average Ranking: Week 1 - 27.3

Week 1 Average: 27.3
Week 2 Average: 21.7
Week 3 Average: 16.1
Week 4 Average: 9.0
Week 5 Average: 15.7