Fansided

NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Bears celebrating, Patriots fading

By Russell S. Baxter

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Jordan Howard #24 and Tarik Cohen #29 of the Chicago Bears celebrate after Howard scored a touchdown in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers with at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Jordan Howard #24 and Tarik Cohen #29 of the Chicago Bears celebrate after Howard scored a touchdown in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers with at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
16 of 32
Next
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 16: Minkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins runs with the ball after intercepting a pass by Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 16, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fitzpatrick scored a 50 yard touchdown on the play. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 16: Minkah Fitzpatrick #29 of the Miami Dolphins runs with the ball after intercepting a pass by Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 16, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fitzpatrick scored a 50 yard touchdown on the play. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

7-7. Previous: . Miami Dolphins. 17. team. 59.

Recap: Off that rousing last-second win over the New England Patriots, Adam Gase took his team north to the Twin Cities to take on the struggling Minnesota Vikings. And the Dolphins continued to show why they may be the league’s most unpredictable team. Before you could say lateral, the club was down 21-0 after one quarter and the Miami defense couldn’t stop the Purple Gang on the ground. A pick-six by rookie cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick jumpstarted the team and by the third quarter the deficit had been cut to four games. But the Vikings scored the final 20 points of the game and it was another lopsided loss for Gase’s squad.

Next Week: The Dolphins play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first time since 2012. Including a forgettable 62-7 playoff loss by Miami in 1999, the teams will be facing each other for only the ninth time dating back to the start of this series in ’98. And this marks only the third time the Dolphins will host this series.

Playoff hopes: With the Patriots falling for a second straight Sunday, the ‘Fins have not yet been mathematically eliminated from winning the AFC East. But with the Colts, Titans and Ravens all coming up with wins, the club’s playoff chances took a real dip. Miami’s best option in terms of the postseason would be winning a division title.

Next: No. 16

Home/NFL Power Rankings