The Miami Dolphins suffered their first loss of the season on Thursday night, as they were defeated by Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 27-15 in a game that saw Miami lose starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Lane has been producing weekly NFL power rankings. After having the Dolphins start the season at No. 20, Miami had crawled their way up to the top spot. Now, with four weeks in the books, they sit at No. 13.
Here’s what Lane wrote about the Dolphins after their unfortunate loss:
“So long as Tua Tagovailoa remains out, and the Dolphins struggle to win, they are going to be a hard sell as anything other than a mid in the power rankings. However, the situation at quarterback does present an opportunity for rookie coach Mike McDaniel to truly showcase his talents that led Miami to pick him.”
With Tagovailoa out for Miami’s Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets, Teddy Bridgewater and company will have to earn some respect back from members of the national media.