The NYT Connections: Sports Edition for November 7, 2026, numbered 775, offers a challenging mix of gridiron statistics, regional team clusters, and international soccer stars. Today’s puzzle requires a sharp eye for specific professional rosters and a memory for college football history.
Hints for Today’s Connections: Sports Edition
If you prefer to solve the puzzle with just a little assistance, these hints for each color-coded group will point you in the right direction without giving away the members.
- Yellow: These are positive outcomes for a defensive unit in American football.
- Green: All of these organizations represent the same U.S. state across different levels of play.
- Blue: These are prominent members of a specific European national soccer team.
- Purple: These college programs reached the final game of the season but failed to secure the trophy.
Progressive Hints
If you need a bit more detail to narrow down your choices:
- Yellow Hint: Think of stats recorded by a linebacker or defensive end.
- Green Hint: These teams are all based in Illinois, covering MLB, MLS, and the Big Ten.
- Blue Hint: These athletes are stars for the England Lionesses.
- Purple Hint: These schools lost in either the BCS or CFP National Championship games.
Spoiler Warning: The final answers and group names for puzzle #775 are listed below.
Connections: Sports Edition Answers for November 7 (#775)
Yellow: Defensive Statistics
HURRY, INTERCEPTION, SACK, TACKLE
Green: Teams in Illinois
CUBS, FIRE, ILLINOIS, NORTHWESTERN
Blue: England Women’s Soccer Players
HEMP, JAMES, MEAD, TOONE
Purple: College Football Championship Game Losers
MIAMI, NOTRE DAME, TCU, WASHINGTON
Explanation of Groups
The Yellow group covers standard defensive metrics in football, focusing on actions that disrupt the opposing quarterback or ball carrier. The Green group focuses on Illinois-based teams, including the Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago Fire (MLS), and the state’s two primary Big Ten representatives.
The Blue group identifies four key players from the England Lionesses national team: Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Beth Mead, and Ella Toone. Finally, the Purple group highlights major college football programs that fell short in the national title game, spanning from the 2002 Miami Hurricanes in the BCS era to the 2023 Washington Huskies in the CFP era.
