2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 15
Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd
The Dolphins upset the Patriots on Monday Night Football, but Miami still looks like one of the worst 6-7 teams in NFL history.
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Indianapolis Colts | -11.65 | 3-10 | 0.0% | 25 | 32 | 0 |
| 31 | San Francisco 49ers | -9.58 | 3-10 | 0.0% | 27 | 29 | 0 |
| 30 | Cleveland Browns | -8.13 | 0-13 | 0.0% | 26 | 25 | -1 |
| 29 | New York Giants | -6.99 | 2-11 | 0.0% | 29 | 20 | -1 |
| 28 | Miami Dolphins | -6.95 | 6-7 | 10.9% | 31 | 16 | +2 |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | -6.46 | 7-6 | 24.9% | 30 | 15 | 0 |
| 26 | Cincinnati Bengals | -5.83 | 5-8 | 0.0% | 23 | 23 | -6 |
| 25 | New York Jets | -5.2 | 5-8 | 0.0% | 22 | 24 | -2 |
| 24 | Oakland Raiders | -5.02 | 6-7 | 1.8% | 14 | 31 | +2 |
| 23 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -4.53 | 4-9 | 0.0% | 17 | 26 | +2 |
Miami has been outscored by 82 points this season, which is among the worst point differential for a 6-7 team. (Ever.)
As you can see in the chart above, the Dolphins actually don't even have the worst point differential for a 6-7 team this season, as that distinction belongs to the Arizona Cardinals. However, Arizona has been considerably better on a per-play basis (ranking 14th with a -0.02 yards per play differential, while Miami is 29th at -0.64), which is why the Cardinals crack the top 20 in our power rankings.
The six wins the Dolphins do have banked, thanks to narrowly scraping by in most of their victories, means Miami is still in playoff contention (the relative weakness of the AFC helps also). Still, they have their work cut out for them, as three teams stand between them and the No. 6 seed -- that's part of why we only give them a 10.9% chance of making the postseason.
