The Washington Commanders suffered another inevitable loss on Christmas Day. And arguably the biggest beneficiary from the team's reverse against the Dallas Cowboys wasn't even on the field. It was another contest where the Commanders fell behind early and couldn't claw their way back. Head coach Dan Quinn oversaw a spirited effort from his squad, but the quality was severely lacking. And anytime the Cowboys' offense needed to move the chains, they typically just ran it right up the gut of Washington's defensive line.
I will give credit where it's due first before coming down with the hammer. Last season showed, and in a small sample the year prior also, that Jakob Poeltl proved absolutely fundamental to this Raptors core flourishing. Why? Because since they got him at the 2023 deadline, he's largely been Toronto's only center and anchoring presence in the paint.
Despite both Canada and Puerto Rico having already clinched a 2025 AmeriCup quarterfinals berth, there was still plenty of incentive for the SMNT to win their final Group B contest. With the way the rest of the tournament was shaking out (including the USA suffering an upset loss to Uruguay), Canada had a chance to clinch the top seed heading to the knockout stages, and all but guarantee a quarterfinals matchup against the lowest seeded, Colombia.