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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #708

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#708) — September 1, 2026

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Earlier Aug 31 This puzzle Sep 1 Later Sep 2

“Check every word for a second meaning before committing — several words here wear a familiar face that has nothing to do with where they actually land.BACK has appeared before in Connections #692 (Aug 16, 2026), where it was part of a football positions category. It plays a completely different role today.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 1, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 2Matt Ryan's jersey number for virtually his entire NFL career — easy to overlook as just a stray digit.
2 BACKReads as a football position; here it completes 'back-to-back,' meaning consecutive wins or events.
3 BCBoston College — where Matt Ryan played college football before being drafted into the NFL.
4 BLUEReads as a colour; it's actually the Indianapolis Colts' official horse mascot.
5 DAYCompletes 'day-to-day,' meaning routine or ongoing — also used for players listed as day-to-day on the injury report.
6 DRILLLooks like a power tool or a military exercise; here it means to train someone through repetition.
7 FALCONSLooks like a mascot or team name in isolation; here it marks the Atlanta franchise where Ryan spent the bulk of his career.
8 INSTRUCTThe most formal of the four — the textbook word for passing on knowledge or technique.
9 JAXSON DE VILLEThe Jacksonville Jaguars' jaguar mascot, famous for high-energy crowd stunts on the sideline.
10 MANCompletes 'man-to-man,' a term used in both football coverage schemes and direct personal conversation.
11 MATTY ICERyan's nickname, earned for his composure in late-game situations.
12 SCHOOLTo school someone is to teach them — often with a hint of dominance, as in being schooled by a better player.
13 SOURDOUGH SAMThe San Francisco 49ers' gold rush-era prospector mascot.
14 SWOOPThe Philadelphia Eagles' eagle mascot — the name describes exactly what eagles do.
15 TEACHThe plain-vanilla member of the group; no twist here, just the everyday word for imparting a skill.
16 TOECompletes 'toe-to-toe,' meaning a direct, close-range confrontation between two opponents.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint What a good mentor does on the practice field.
See Group COACH
See WordSCHOOL
See WordINSTRUCT
See WordTEACH
See WordDRILL
See Hint These characters roam the sidelines in costume, not pads.
See Group NFL MASCOTS
See WordSOURDOUGH SAM
See WordJAXSON DE VILLE
See WordSWOOP
See WordBLUE
See Hint A career summed up in four very different facts.
See Group ASSOCIATED WITH MATT RYAN
See Word2
See WordFALCONS
See WordBC
See WordMATTY ICE
See Hint Each word pairs with itself, separated by a hyphen and a preposition.
See Group _____-TO-_____
See WordBACK
See WordTOE
See WordMAN
See WordDAY
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 FALCONS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as an NFL team name, which makes it feel like mascot territory — but here it's tied to a specific player's career, not the franchise itself.
2 BLUE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the colour or a general adjective — but here it's a proper name, the official mascot of an NFL team.
3 BACK Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a football position like running back or cornerback — but the puzzle is using it as a standalone word in a very different kind of phrase.
4 DRILL Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a power tool or a military exercise — but here it's a plain verb meaning to train or instruct someone.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 1, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y COACH · Yellow · easiest
  • SCHOOL
  • INSTRUCT
  • TEACH
  • DRILL

SCHOOL, INSTRUCT, TEACH and DRILL all mean to coach or train someone. DRILL is the sneakiest — most solvers picture a power tool or a military exercise before the teaching sense clicks into place.

G NFL MASCOTS · Green · easy
  • SOURDOUGH SAM
  • JAXSON DE VILLE
  • SWOOP
  • BLUE

SOURDOUGH SAM, JAXSON DE VILLE, SWOOP and BLUE are all official NFL team mascots. BLUE is the trickiest — it reads as a colour, but it's actually the name of the Indianapolis Colts' horse mascot.

B ASSOCIATED WITH MATT RYAN · Blue · medium
  • 2
  • FALCONS
  • BC
  • MATTY ICE

2, FALCONS, BC and MATTY ICE are all things associated with NFL quarterback Matt Ryan. MATTY ICE was his nickname for performing under pressure; 2 was his jersey number for virtually his entire career; BC is Boston College where he played in college; and the Falcons were his primary NFL team. Ryan wore #2 in Atlanta and kept it when he moved to Indianapolis, making it one of the most consistent things about his career.

P _____-TO-_____ · Purple · hardest
  • BACK
  • TOE
  • MAN
  • DAY

BACK, TOE, MAN and DAY each complete a '_____-to-_____' phrase using the same word twice: back-to-back, toe-to-toe, man-to-man and day-to-day. BACK is the trickiest — football players hear it as a position, but here it's half of a doubled phrase.

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