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Crosswords

The Crossword, Jan. 26: Nailbiter (Themeless)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye gets a game-sealing first down in the fourth quarter. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026.

50-Down: QB’s call

|Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

It's time to wrap up the month with a challenging themeless. Keep an eye out for tricky clues and fun wordplay. This week's puzzle was constructed by Rafael Musa, and edited by Hoang-Kim Vu. Rafa lives in San Francisco with his cat Georgia.

Defector crosswords, launched in partnership with our friends at AVCX, run every Monday. If you’re interested in submitting a puzzle to us, you can read our guidelines HERE

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