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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #725

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#725) — September 18, 2026

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Earlier Sep 17 This puzzle Sep 18 Later Sep 19

“Before you lock in any football-related word, ask whether it is a concept or a name — that distinction is the key move in this puzzle.Today's puzzle has KEY, which also appeared in Connections #698 (Aug 22, 2026). It was part of words meaning important or essential.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 18, 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 AHEADThe most neutral of the four — simply in front of the opponent.
2 BALLERSThe HBO comedy starring Dwayne Johnson as a retired NFL player turned financial manager.
3 COFFIN CORNERA precision kick aimed at the sideline near the goal line, designed to bury the returner deep.
4 DOWNSLooks exactly like the football term for downs, but in this puzzle it's a Colts surname.
5 EASTBOUND & DOWNThe DOWN at the end looks like a punting term, but this is the HBO comedy about a washed-up baseball pitcher played by Danny McBride.
6 FAIR CATCHA signal by the returner to catch the punt without being tackled — and without being able to advance.
7 FOURTH DOWNThe down that most often triggers a punt — use it or kick it away.
8 GARDNERThe least deceptive of the four — no obvious football double meaning, just a Colts surname.
9 HANG TIMEHow long the ball stays in the air, giving the coverage team time to run downfield.
10 HARD KNOCKSHBO's long-running NFL training camp documentary series, following a different team each year.
11 KEYFeels like a general sports adjective meaning important, but here it's a player's last name on the Indianapolis roster.
12 LEADINGSounds like it could mean guiding or directing, but here it means holding the top spot on the scoreboard.
13 ON TOPA two-word phrase for dominating the moment — 'we're on top right now.'
14 PIERCEReads like a verb for breaking through a defense, but here it's a Colts player's last name.
15 UPThe shortest way to say your team has more points — 'we're up by three.'
16 WINNING TIMESounds like a phrase for being in the lead, but it's the HBO drama about the Showtime-era LA Lakers.
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 The scoreboard says you have the edge right now.
See Group IN FRONT OF
See WordUP
See WordAHEAD
See WordLEADING
See WordON TOP
See Hint What a specialist kicker and his coverage team have to think about.
See Group ASSOCIATED WITH PUNTING
See WordFOURTH DOWN
See WordHANG TIME
See WordCOFFIN CORNER
See WordFAIR CATCH
See Hint You needed a subscription to watch all four of these.
See Group HBO SPORTS SERIES
See WordWINNING TIME
See WordHARD KNOCKS
See WordBALLERS
See WordEASTBOUND & DOWN
See Hint You'd find these names on the back of a horseshoe jersey.
See Group INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
See WordPIERCE
See WordDOWNS
See WordKEY
See WordGARDNER
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 DOWNS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly reading this as football downs — first, second, third — which makes it feel at home with the punting terms. But here it's being used as a surname, not a game concept.
2 WINNING TIME Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading this as a phrase meaning the moment you're out in front, which fits the 'in the lead' vibe perfectly — but the puzzle is using it as a proper title, not a state of play.
3 EASTBOUND & DOWN Tap to see why this word traps.
The word DOWN at the end pulls your eye toward the punting group — but this is a title, and DOWN here is a direction, not a football term.
4 PIERCE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of it as a verb — breaking through a defense — but the puzzle is using it as a person's last name.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 18, 2026

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

Y IN FRONT OF · Yellow · easiest
  • UP
  • AHEAD
  • LEADING
  • ON TOP

UP, AHEAD, LEADING and ON TOP all describe being in front in a competition at this moment. LEADING is the sneakiest — it doubles as a gerund about guiding someone, but here it's purely about the scoreboard.

G ASSOCIATED WITH PUNTING · Green · easy
  • FOURTH DOWN
  • HANG TIME
  • COFFIN CORNER
  • FAIR CATCH

FOURTH DOWN, HANG TIME, COFFIN CORNER and FAIR CATCH are all concepts specific to the punting game in American football. COFFIN CORNER is the most obscure — it refers to kicking the ball out of bounds inside the opponent's five-yard line, pinning them deep.

B HBO SPORTS SERIES · Blue · medium
  • WINNING TIME
  • HARD KNOCKS
  • BALLERS
  • EASTBOUND & DOWN

WINNING TIME, HARD KNOCKS, BALLERS and EASTBOUND & DOWN are all HBO sports-related series. HARD KNOCKS is the longest-running of the group — the NFL training camp docuseries has aired since 2001.

P INDIANAPOLIS COLTS · Purple · hardest
  • PIERCE
  • DOWNS
  • KEY
  • GARDNER

PIERCE, DOWNS, KEY and GARDNER are all surnames of Indianapolis Colts players or personnel. DOWNS is the cruelest trap — it reads as a football concept right up until you realize it belongs here as a name.

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