NFL power rankings after two weeks of the 2018 season

The NFL loves to keep rankings and power rankings are a popular opinionated feature of most national media sites. Where do the Miami Dolphins deserve to be?

Each week, all of the various sports media outlets publish their NFL power rankings based on how each team does the week prior. Let’s look at this week’s, see where the Dolphins fall and whether or not it is a fair ranking. I’ll look at the rankings for ESPN, NFL.com and Bleacher Report.

NFL.com’s power rankings has the Dolphins ranked 17th, moving up 6 spots from 23rd. According to the site,

"The Dolphins have gotten off to the most optimal start fans could envision: 1-0 in the AFC East, 2-0 in the conference and relatively healthy (though the Josh Sitton injury does hurt). Miami’s defense put it on tape, so to speak, in Sunday’s first half, shutting down the Jets at every turn. When Sam Darnold and Co. turned it on after the break, the Dolphins‘ offense made the plays it had to make. Look no further than Frank Gore’s (shoestring-)catch-and-run to convert third-and-forever, essentially putting the game away in the fourth quarter.  – Elliot Harrison of NFL.com"

It’s hard to be completely upset about this ranking, with one exception. The Steelers are still ranked 1 spot higher than the Dolphins. Based on how the year has gone, I find it hard to believe that the Steelers are a better team than the Dolphins right now. Even if you look just at their respective records, Miami’s 2-0 record should put them higher than the Steelers at 0-1-1. Division leading Miami should at least be in the top half of the rankings.

ESPN’s rankings had Miami ranked in just about the same spot, earning the 16th spot on the list, jumping up from 24th last week. According to ESPN,

"Miami is in sole possession of first place in the AFC East through at least two games for the first time since Week 2 of 2010. FPI gives the Dolphins a 66 percent chance to improve to 3-0 on Sunday and maintain control of first place. – ESPN"

Similarly to NFL.com’s rankings, Miami should be higher based on where the Steelers are ranked. ESPN has the Steelers at 10. It’s hard to justify this. It’s even harder to justify that the Steelers are, again, better than Miami.

Finally, when looking at Bleacher Report, their rankings seem to be the most skeptical of the Dolphins, putting them at 21st, moving up 7 spots from the prior week. According to Bleacher Report:

"Undefeated or no, we’re still not ready to call the Dolphins contenders. Or even call them good. And at the end of the month, Miami travels to Foxborough to face the Patriots in their first real test of 2018.But with a home date coming up with the Oakland Raiders before that, it’s entirely possible the Dolphins will roll into Gillette Stadium at 3-0 with a chance to open up a two-game lead on the Pats. – Bleacher Report"

Regardless of what the thinking was at the beginning of the year, Miami deserves to be ranked higher than 21st. Miami’s win last week is clearly understated by everyone in the national media even though they won against a divisional opponent away from home.

There is a theme here amongst all three of the rankings. Everyone seems to be under-appreciating the way that Miami has played over the last two weeks. The national media has generally been skeptical of the Dolphins for the last few years and it seems nothing has really changed.

Miami is deserving of moving up in these rankings and hopefully a big win against the Raiders will help boost the media’s sentiments towards the Dolphins.

What are your thoughts on the power rankings for week 3?