Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo Crossword Clue

We have the 3-letter answer for Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo crossword clue, last seen in the NYT Crossword September 20, 2026 puzzle. This answer will help you finish the puzzle you’re working on.

Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo Crossword Answer

→45.

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Helpful Hints

(noun)
1. (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
2. a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people
(verb)
1. catch sight of
2. watch, observe, or inquire secretly

Hint 2: Clue Definitions

DEFENSIVE (noun)
1. an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive’)
DEFENSIVE (adjective)
1. attempting to justify or defend in speech or writing
2. intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack
FOOTBALL (noun)
1. any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other’s goal
2. the inflated oblong ball used in playing American football

More NYT Crossword (9/20/2026) Answers

Across

1. Special-ordered

7. Sections of a circle's circumference

11. NASCAR stat that varies widely by venue

18. Banderas of 2024's "Babygirl"

20. Coaster feature, maybe

21. Assembles in proper order

22. Mar, as a reputation

23. See 25-Across

24. Maligns

25. With 23-Across, March Madness tournament round

27. Mouths (off)

29. Pact that preceded the U.S.M.C.A.

30. Burnable bog stuff

31. Burnt chimney stuff

33. High-speed Olympic sport

34. See 37-Across

35. One who might have perfect pitch?

37. With 34-Across, full extent of something

43. "Holy moly!"

46. Red-coated cheese

47. ___ funny

48. Bigwig

52. Own (up)

55. It's off the wall!

57. "Red" or "1989," to Swifties

58. Buck ___, first African American coach in Major League Baseball

60. Extremely soft, in music: Abbr.

62. See 64-Across

63. Chew the fat

64. With 62-Across, Beatles classic with the lyric "Will you still need me / Will you still feed me"

67. Noted exile isle

69. Energy-efficient bulb, for short

71. ___ orange, tree whose fruit has a brainlike appearance

72. Native Nebraskans

75. See 78-Across

76. Author who purportedly drew inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled "O-Z"

78. With 75-Across, "So very appreciated!"

81. Hold up

83. Narnia or Neverland

86. Give it a whirl

87. Violinmaker of Cremona

88. Letters from your folks?

89. So cool!

92. Follower of John in the New Testament

94. Chef with "New New Orleans"-style cooking

96. Greatest guy?

97. See 101-Across

98. Vent

100. Part of SCOTUS

101. With 97-Across, Vegas casino machine

107. No-cash deal

111. Lay off

112. Culprit, in police lingo

113. Modern pentathlon equipment

115. Metaphor for a too-hot room

116. Actress Christine whose last name sounds like a pair of musical notes

118. Ill will

120. Number written above and to the right of another number … as seen five times in this puzzle?

122. Weigh down, and then some

124. Number with a 120-Across, mathematically

126. Armand of “American Gangster”

127. Many mailbox stuffers

128. Zest

129. Iced tea request

130. Clumsy

131. Move fast, as a cloud

132. Road trip stopovers

All Answers

Down

1. Pampering place for a Persian

2. Not impressed ...

3. Watch via Hulu, say

4. Online forum qualifiers such as /j ("joking") or /s ("sarcastic")

5. "I'll deal with this right now!"

6. Keeps hydrated, as vegetables in the produce aisle

7. Sitcom character from Melmac

8. Aussie animals

9. Item

10. Alfalfa shoot

11. Stockholder's setback

12. Weisshorn or Finsteraarhorn

13. Not merely enough to go around

14. Island containing Kiribati's capital

15. "Don't pay any mind to this"

16. Zoom, e.g.

17. Feminine pronoun in Florence

19. Would you look at that!

21. Wedding reception hiree

26. Partner of aahs

28. "So-o-o gross!"

32. A-one

36. With nary a chance

38. Ingredient in some hair relaxers

39. Make a long story short, say

40. Individually

41. Female rabbit

42. Elbow-bender

44. Popular singer of the Hawaiian folk song "Pearly Shells"

48. Sup

49. Sonicare competitor

50. Reschedule, so to speak

51. Things that drivers sometimes leave behind?

53. Letters on a lip balm tube

54. Scare stiff

56. Some old Disney collectibles

59. Arriving by

61. Tables

65. Stiller’s comedic partner

66. Incur a cellphone surcharge, perhaps

68. Electrical impulse transmitters

70. Face-off

73. Catchall abbr

74. Priced to be, as bail

77. Fortified wine from Spain

79. Home of NoHo and SoHo

80. "Catch ya in the morn!"

82. Main squeeze, in newer slang

84. Lascivious look

85. Old-timey teacher

89. Sped or bled ... or led

90. ___ Lilly (Mounjaro maker)

91. Pointe shoe accessories

93. Amy who wrote "Saving Fish From Drowning"

95. Balloon pilot, say

99. Worth a pick?

102. Stick to simple and unprocessed foods, say

103. State with only three counties (Abbr.)

104. Illegal offerings

105. High-level H.S. class with derivatives

106. Star football player?

108. Get even for

109. Kind of insurance for bridges

110. Types (in)

114. Surrey's Derby town

116. Singer/dancer/actress Falana

117. Say for sure

118. Org. supporting sobriety checkpoints

119. Father of five sons in the Bible

121. ___ buco

123. Adornment on a boathouse wall

125. Heel, e.g.

All Answers