2023 NFL power rankings, Week 16: Cowboys, Eagles loss is Ravens, Lions gain

The Dolphins were in position to sweep the rival Jets for the third time in four seasons. Mike McDaniel’s battered club would be without Tyreek Hill and numerous other starters. The AFC East leaders toyed with their longtime division rivals. They jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and limited the Jets’ offense to four yards i two quarters.

Give McDaniel credit as the team has bounced back from all four of its losses this season to come away with a victory, prevailing in three of those games by 14-plus points. Miami is a 10-win team for the first time since 2020.

Off an exhilarating overtime win vs. the Rams, John Harbaugh’s team headed to Jacksonville for a prime-time affair with the Jaguars. Baltimore’s physicality was very evident in this encounter. The Ravens outscored Jacksonville, 13-0, in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, 204 of the team’s 251 rushing yards came in the second half.

The Ravens’ fourth straight victory means that they are the first AFC team to clinch a playoff berth. Harbaugh’s club is the frontrunner to grab the top seed in the conference. Ahead is a Christmas showdown with the 49ers.

The 49ers have been rolling through the NFC West for more than a year and that domination continued Sunday at Arizona. They clinched a second straight division title thanks to an offense that gained 406 yards on only 54 plays.

Christian McCaffrey caught a pair of TD passes from Brock Purdy. He also ran for 115 yards and another score. No doubt Kyle Shanahan had to be somewhat concerned with the play of a defense that came into the game with the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. Surprisingly, Steve Wilks’ unit surrendered a whopping 234 yards on the ground.