It was a miserable Sunday for 'America's Team'; Ravens secure AFC's top seed

All the Dallas Cowboys had to do was defeat the injury-depleted Philadelphia Eagles and the NFC East would be theirs.

Instead, the Cowboys went into Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field and couldn't get the job done, losing 17-9 to the Eagles, who now only need a win against the Giants in Week 17 to claim the division title. 

Adding to the Cowboys' misery was a delayed flight back home when the team's charter was deemed "not viable" to fly out. Meanwhile, a "disappointed" Jerry Jones says he has "a lot to consider" on coach Jason Garrett's future. The offseason in Big D could be wild.

For the first time in franchise history, Baltimore Ravens have secured home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The race for home-field in the NFC playoffs still is up for grabs, though the Seattle Seahawks damaged their chances with a stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

What has seemed inevitable for much of the season became official Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best

• 32 things we learned: The mystery of the 2019 season is rapidly evaporating, as there is only one week left for teams to make the finishing touches on their campaigns.
• Winners and losers: While the Eagles are in position to win the NFC East after defeating the Cowboys, the Steelers damaged their playoff hopes against the Jets.
• Playoff picture: With one week remaining in the regular season, there are still two playoff berths yet to be sealed and seeding shakeups in both the AFC and NFC.
• A long day for the Cowboys got longer when their charter flight got delayed in Philadelphia.
• The Browns' Odell Beckham Jr. and Freddie Kitchens downplayed an incident on the sideline during Sunday's loss to the Ravens.
• Michael Thomas surpassed Marvin Harrison's record for receptions in a season. The Saints star still has one game remaining, too.
• Upon leaving Sunday's loss to the Colts after an ejection, Panthers DT Vernon Butler gave the middle finger to the fans in Indianapolis.
• Devlin Hodges was benched in the loss to the Jets after throwing two interceptions in the Steelers' first three drives. He later had to come back in after Mason Rudolph was injured.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick made some cool NFL history in Dolphins' wild OT win over Bengals.
• Jalen Ramsey blamed a teammate for Emmanuel Sanders' 46-yard reception that set up the 49ers' winning field goal against the Rams.
• Dak Prescott hilariously made sure there was no coin toss controversy before playing the Eagles.
• 49ers TE George Kittle's impression of "The Rock" got Dwayne Johnson's attention on Twitter.
• 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan delivered an emotional speech to the team on C.J. Beathard amid tragedy.
• With the NFC West title -- and possibly a first-round playoff bye -- on the line, 49ers-Seahawks will close out the regular season next Sunday night.
• 2020 NFL draft first-round order: While the Bengals clinched the No. 1 pick, the Redskins and Lions moved into the top three.

• PHOTOS: Best of Week 16 | Cheerleaders | NFL at 100

What our experts are saying

• Cowboys owner weighs coach's future: In an exclusive chat with USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell, Jerry Jones opened up about Jason Garrett and a Cowboys season that could be nearing its end.
• Chiefs hitting their stride at the perfect time: Watch out, NFL! Lurking behind the Ravens and Patriots in the AFC are the Chiefs, who are playing their best football of the season, writes Nancy Armour.
• These NFL teams missed out: Losses on Saturday and Sunday killed fading hopes for some NFL squads. For others, Week 17 now represents one last shot at redemption and playoffs, writes Mike Jones.
• Ravens have nothing left to prove in 2019: With the top seed already in hand, the Ravens don't have to prove anything -- to themselves or outsiders -- as they prepare for the playoffs, writes Tom Schad.
• Top 50 athletes of the decade: USA TODAY Sports staff voted for the top 50 athletes of the decade. See how many NFL players made the list.

Week 16 rundown

• Chiefs 26, Bears 3: This was the most lopsided loss in Bears coach Matt Nagy's 31-game career.
• Eagles 17, Cowboys 9: Philadelphia took control of the NFC East as Dallas' playoff hopes shrink.
• Cardinals 27, Seahawks 13: Arizona pulled off this stunning win despite Kyler Murray missing nearly the entire second half with a hamstring injury.
• Raiders 24, Chargers 17: Oakland enters Week 17 with a chance at making the playoffs.
• Broncos 27, Lions 17: Denver extended Detroit's losing streak to eight games.
• Giants 41, Redskins 35 (OT): Daniel Jones was spectacular in his return to the starting lineup.
• Falcons 24, Jaguars 12: If this was Dan Quinn's final home game as head coach of the Falcons, at least he goes out a winner.
• Ravens 31, Browns 15: For the first time ever, the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through M&T Bank Stadium.
• Dolphins 38, Bengals 35 (OT): The Bengals clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft with this defeat.
• Colts 38, Panthers 6: Nyheim Hines became the first player to score two punt return touchdowns in the same game in seven years.
• Saints 38, Titans 28: Despite this setback, the Titans face a win-and-in scenario in Week 17.
• Jets 16, Steelers 10: The Steelers' path to the postseason got much more difficult after this ugly setback.
• 49ers 34, Rams 31 (Saturday): While the defending NFC champion Rams were eliminated from playoff contention, the 49ers have a chance at securing home-field in Week 17.
• Patriots 24, Bills 17 (Saturday): New England won the AFC East for a record 11th consecutive time.
• Texans 23, Buccaneers 20 (Saturday):Houston secured the AFC South title for the fourth time in five seasons.

Coming this week

Monday: Week 16 wraps up the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Packers are 0-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Tuesday:USA TODAY Sports' NFL experts offer their power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 16. 

Thursday: Make sure to check out USA TODAY Sports for expert picks for every Week 17 game.

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