22. Washington Commanders
Washington was on the bye in Week 12
It’s been a season to forget for the Washington Commanders, as they continue to tumble down our NFL Power Rankings. What’s happened with this team is actually quite clear - they went into the season with a flawed, aging roster, and that roster has since gotten banged up.
Washington is done. They aren’t going to make any sort of late-season surge, as they are playing the Denver Broncos in Week 13 and are likely going to get beaten pretty good. They should look to shut Jayden Daniels down for the rest of the season with an angle toward the 2026 campaign.
GM Adam Peters has to get this offseason right - Washington needs an influx of young talent and also has to do what they can to ensure that Daniels stays healthy, as this year of his rookie deal has been wasted. The Commanders fall in our power rankings.
21. Miami Dolphins
Miami was on the bye in Week 12
The Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders and have been on the bye in Week 12. The Dolphins did part ways with GM Chris Grier and traded Jaelan Phillips at the NFL trade deadline. Miami still seems to be playing quite hard despite them angling toward being in a rebuilding mode in 2026.
I get the sense that Mike McDaniel is going to stick around for another year, and that is likely going to be the case for Tua Tagovailoa as well. There is a path for this tam to get back on the map in 2026, as the new GM simply has to beef up the trenches, and I think that actually might be enough for the time being.
Miami is still way down in the AFC playoff picture and won’t be a factor this year, though.