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NYT Connections Sports Puzzle #656 — Answers & Solution
Saturday, July 11, 2026 · Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Medium
🏆 NYT Connections Sports Puzzle #656 — Complete Answers
- 🟨 Yellow – AN NFC WEST PLAYER: 49ER, CARDINAL, RAM, SEAHAWK
- 🟩 Green – AN NL CENTRAL PLAYER: BREWER, CUB, PIRATE, RED
- 🟦 Blue – SEC FOOTBALL HEAD COACHES: BEAMER, DRINKWITZ, LEA, SMART
- 🟪 Purple – WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED: ICES, NEVER, PUN, WIRE
📋 All 16 Words — Puzzle #656
✅ Full Answers — Puzzle #656
🟨 Yellow — AN NFC WEST PLAYER
🟩 Green — AN NL CENTRAL PLAYER
🟦 Blue — SEC FOOTBALL HEAD COACHES
🟪 Purple — WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
🔍 Detailed Breakdown
🟨 Yellow (Easiest) — AN NFC WEST PLAYER
The easiest category in Sports Puzzle #656 is "AN NFC WEST PLAYER". The four words are:
- 49ER
- CARDINAL
- RAM
- SEAHAWK
🟩 Green (Medium) — AN NL CENTRAL PLAYER
The medium category in Sports Puzzle #656 is "AN NL CENTRAL PLAYER". The four words are:
- BREWER
- CUB
- PIRATE
- RED
🟦 Blue (Hard) — SEC FOOTBALL HEAD COACHES
The hard category in Sports Puzzle #656 is "SEC FOOTBALL HEAD COACHES". The four words are:
- BEAMER
- DRINKWITZ
- LEA
- SMART
🟪 Purple (Hardest) — WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
The hardest category in Sports Puzzle #656 is "WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED". The four words are:
- ICES
- NEVER
- PUN
- WIRE
🎯 Strategy Tips for Puzzle #656
Knock out the NFL and MLB divisional groups first, as they are direct and singular nouns. If you are left scratching your head over words like PUN or NEVER, try saying them out loud or altering their first letters to reveal the WNBA teams Sun and Fever.
⚠️ Red Herring Warning: Watch out for CARDINAL and RED. Both easily trick players into grouping them as color-based team names or mixing them up between their respective NFL and MLB divisions. Additionally, SMART could be mistaken for a general adjective rather than referencing Georgia’s head coach.
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