Are the 2023 Ravens the most dominant team of the Super Bowl era?

There is no no sugarcoating this: the Baltimore Ravens are the most dominant team in the NFL, full stop. I'm not saying it, mind you, but rather just echoing a league-wide sentiment considering how impressive the Ravens have been throughout the first nine weeks of play.

Baltimore (7-2) only ranks second in the NFL standings below the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1), which isn't bad but could be better. The Ravens are, in fact, also tied for the best record in the AFC with Kansas City but not leading the conference all by themselves.

That said, many facts and statistics paint this team as the strongest and most dominant squad since the same Ravens blasted the competition back in 2000 on their way to winning their first-ever Super Bowl in history.

In a piece written by Jamison Hensley of ESPN, the Ravens beat writer highlighted many of the things the team has done this season on their way to dominance.

"The Ravens’ point differential is plus-115, which is 35 better than any other team. Baltimore has scored three times as many touchdowns (27) as its defense has allowed (nine). The Ravens’ average margin of victory during their current four-game winning streak is 20 points."

- Jamison Hensley, ESPN

The Ravens have the league-best point difference at +115, compared to the second-best Bills at just +80. They have trounced the Lions and the Seahawks (considered strong contenders themselves) in a span of three weeks. Those were only two of the four victories Baltimore has earned in the past month of play.

Hensley's research also had him finding out that Baltimore has "led entering the fourth quarter all nine games," which is seemingly something that has happened exactly once in NFL history. "That’s tied for the fifth-longest streak to begin a season in the Super Bowl era (1966)," wrote Hensley.

On top of that, the Ravens are "3-0 this season against teams entering the matchup with a winning record," have lost two games "by a total of 10 points," and defeated the Browns, Lions, and Seahawks "by a combined score of 103-12." Does it get much better than that?

It does. For the fancy stats lovers out there, Hensley delivered the Ravens' DVOA figure through Week 9, which is currently at 49%, and according to Hensley and others ranks third-best all-time in the NFL only behind the 1991 Washington team and the 2007 New England squad.

More Baltimore Ravens content