Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle has an especially tricky purple category, where you need to look for hidden words, and then add a letter. If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group hint: Not the big scorers.

Green group hint: Keeping up with the…

Blue group hint: Lone Star State players.

Purple group hint: Signal-caller surnames, with a twist.

Read more: We Need to Talk About Wednesday’s Doggone Connections Puzzle

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Defend.

Green group: Joneses.

Blue group: Houston Texans.

Purple group: NFL QBs, with the first letter changed.

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is defend.

The four answers are blanket, cover, guard and shield.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Joneses.

The four answers are Daniel, Deacon, Jonquel and Mac.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Houston Texans.

The four answers are Dell, Marks, Stingley and Stroud.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is NFL QBs, with the first letter changed.

The four answers are cart (Dart), cove (Love), dodgers (Rodgers) and though (Shough).

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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