The New York Times’ Connections: Sports Edition, a daily word puzzle game currently in beta, challenges players to group four sets of four words based on a shared connection. This analysis focuses on the February 2nd, 2025 puzzle (#132), which centered around the theme of American football, appropriately timed just a week before the Super Bowl. The game’s beta status signifies its trial period, allowing the Times to gauge its popularity before potentially integrating it into their Games app. For the time being, it remains freely accessible daily.
This particular puzzle presented four distinct word groups, each with its own thematic connection. The first, categorized as the “yellow group,” focused on the “Road to the Big Game,” referencing the different stages of the NFL playoffs. This category included the terms “conference championship,” “divisional,” “Super Bowl,” and “wild card,” representing the hierarchical progression towards the ultimate championship game.
The “green group,” themed around “Types of kicks,” incorporated various kicking techniques employed in football. These included “drop,” referring to a drop kick; “onside,” a strategic kick aimed at recovering possession; “pooch,” a short, high kick designed to limit return yardage; and “squib,” a low, bouncing kick often used to prevent a long return.
The “blue group” highlighted “WRs to win Super Bowl MVP,” acknowledging wide receivers who have earned the coveted Most Valuable Player award in the Super Bowl. This group featured prominent players like “Branch” (Deion Branch), “Edelman” (Julian Edelman), “Kupp” (Cooper Kupp), and “Ward” (Hines Ward), each recognized for their exceptional performances on the grand stage.
Finally, the “purple group,” described as potentially more challenging and unconventional, was based on the theme “____ block,” referring to various blocking techniques used in football. This category included “chop,” a downwards blocking motion; “pancake,” a dominant block that flattens the opponent; “pass,” a block specifically used to protect the quarterback during passing plays; and “run,” a block used to create running lanes for the ball carrier.
The provided text includes references to additional information relevant to the Super Bowl, including links to details about the game itself and Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. It also emphasizes the availability of hints and answers for various other daily puzzles such as the New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Strands, reflecting the diverse range of word games offered by the publication.
Furthermore, the inclusion of a “Wordle Cheat Sheet” mentioning the most frequently used letters in English words suggests resources aimed at assisting players with these word puzzles. Overall, the piece serves as both an introduction to the Connections: Sports Edition game and a guide to the specific February 2nd puzzle, while also highlighting related content and resources available to puzzle enthusiasts.
