Updated Power Rankings prove Dolphins optimism is heating up

Two weeks ago, the Miami Dolphins were bordering on the NFL's basement. Kept afloat by teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers, they looked as though a top-five draft pick was all but guaranteed.

Power rankings are the ebb and flow of an NFL season. Team's climb, fall, and climb or fall again. Even the top teams in the league tend to come and go as the season moves along. In the latest NFL.com power rankings, the Dolphins made a sizeable jump after their big Monday night win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Should Miami fans expect more of a rise over the next couple of weeks? Probably not. After sitting in the bottom quarter of the league most of the season, the Dolphins took a four-spot jump to No. 20 after their Week 10 win. Miami will play the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots at home, and both games are more than simply winnable.

Beating either team will not move the power-ranking needle, even if by wide margins. Miami is expected to win those games, and further upward movement before their game against the Green Bay Packers will be more about what other teams did to drop instead of what the Dolphins did to climb.

Despite Power Rankings bump, Miami Dolphins still have a lot to work on

Miami's blurb in the power ranking points out that their offense wasn't perfect but made enough plays to win the game against the Rams.

The Dolphins still struggle with consistency, which is a concern, but for the next couple of weeks, it should be a good chance to iron out any remaining problems against teams that are actually worse than Miami.

The real tests for the Dolphins will come in Week 13 against the Packers and Weeks 15 and 16 against the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers. Miami also faces the New York Jets in Week 14, which will be an important game as well but won't likely do much more than wiggle that needle.

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