infrared41's Best and Worst - NFL Week 4

[infrared41]

Hard to believe we're already a month into the season, but here we are. The 2015 season was off to a slow start, but week 4 finally delivered on the best list. And it delivered big. We had some truly great match ups this week - including a rare match up of #1 uniforms. While the best list has improved each week, the worst list keeps getting shorter to the point where we don't have one this week but that's bound to change sooner or later. We can't be this lucky, right? In lieu of a worst list, this week we'll take a look at a uniform match up that perfectly illustrates what happens when you over-design a uniform.

Put 60 seconds on the clock, do your best to ignore all the pink, and let's play our game. As always, your mileage may vary.

Best:

1. Raiders - Bears: The best road look in the NFL matching up against the best home look in the NFL. It simply does not get any better than this. Sure, there may be better color contrast match ups, etc., but these are the two best uniforms in the NFL. Every game should look this good. Already the game of the year.

2. Packers - 49ers: How good was Raiders - Bears? It kept this classic match up out of the #1 spot. Any other week and this game is an easy choice for the #1 slot on the best list. If someone else did a best and worst list and put this game in the top spot, I'd argue it....but only a little. A case could be made that this game should be #1 because the colors pop more. Feel free to make that case.

3. Giants- Bills: When it rains, it pours, I guess. Another game that, in any other week, is sitting in the #1 slot. Three of the best uniform match ups of the year and they all take place on the same day.

4. Cowboys - Saints: Surprisingly, these teams went with the best possible match up in this game. The Saints could have easily ruined this by wearing black pants or going black monochrome. Kudos to the Saints for the second straight week for not botching this match up. I had a tough time deciding between this and Giants - Bills for the #3 slot. In the end, the Bills uniforms carried that game to #3. But it was really close.

5. Philadelphia - Washington: A really solid match up that would probably do better than #5 most weeks. Just not this one.

Honorable mention: Ravens - Steelers: Speaking of teams not botching a good match up, how about the Ravens doing the right thing and going with all white against the Steelers. As long as they stick to purple over white at home and all white on the road, the Ravens have a really solid modern uniform.

The over-designed game of the week:

Browns - Chargers: Lest anyone think I'm picking on Cleveland yet again, let me preface this by saying that, despite my best efforts not to, I'm starting to warm just a little more to the new Browns look each week. As this game so beautifully illustrates, the biggest issue with this new Browns look is it's overdone. There's just too much going on. The same thing can be said about the current Chargers look. Both of these teams have great color schemes and both uniforms have serious potential. But thanks to weird stripe placement and unnecessary additions to the uniforms, they both fall well short of that potential. A few simple fixes could make both of these uniforms "modern classics." Until then, we're stuck with looking at this game and thinking "what if?"

That's it for this week. Thanks for dropping by. We'll reconvene next week for another round.

[Chawls]

No love for Jets-Dolphins?

[infrared41]

No love for Jets-Dolphins?

Not even a little. I don't like the Dolphins uniforms. The Dolphins uniforms aren't bad enough to make the worst list or good enough to make the best list. They're boring and a significant downgrade from all their prior looks.

My guess is we'll see the Dolphins return to the best list when they break out these beauties against the Giants in December.

[AHcreative]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

[fouhy12]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

Agreed. I like the black Cardinals uniforms, but that matchup is the epitome of drab.

Also, no love for Vikings-Broncos? The colors alone made that game great.

[ConcreteCharlie]

Jaguars-Buccaneers next week. Hoo boy

[DouglasQuaid]

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

[mjd77]

Jaguars-Buccaneers next week. Hoo boy

Well, at least we already know what #1 on the worst list is next week. Maybe they could up the ante and go color on color - monochrome teal vs monochrome pewter.

[leopard88]

Honorable mention: Ravens - Steelers: Speaking of teams not botching a good match up, how about the Ravens doing the right thing and going with all white against the Steelers. As long as they stick to purple over white at home and all white on the road, the Ravens have a really solid modern uniform.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only who thinks this, but I guess I'm not alone. Thanks.

I also like the black jersey/white pants combo. Bottom line -- I'd be perfectly fine living without the black pants.

[infrared41]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

I actually like the Cardinals black alts. Also, I don't base the lists on which colors work well (or don't.) I base the list on what I think are the best looking uniforms. Colors "popping", contrast, etc., don't come into play (If it did, then GB - SF would have taken the #1 slot) unless I can't decide between games. For example, this week, it was more or less a toss up between Giants - Bills and Cowboys - Saints for the #3 spot. I went with Giants - Bills because I like the Bills uniforms best of that bunch and because the game looked brighter and more colorful than Cowboys - Saints.

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

One slight problem with that game; the Broncos have ugly, outdated uniforms. The Broncos might see some time on the worst list, but as long as they're wearing their current clown suits, they'll never make the best list. Denver has a great color scheme but the uniforms are really stupid.

[DustDevil61]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

While I don't hate the Cardinals' black uniforms nearly as much as I used to, it's still a very drab look when paired with the Rams in navy pants; there's just not enough cardinal red to go around. I still don't like the tapering pants stripe all that much, but I would make the pants stripe a uniform width down the length of the pants and make sait stripe red. I'd also ditch the red pants if I could.

These Cardinals alternates got me thinking, though--In a vacuum, a white/black/white team wouldn't look so bad, but it clearly shouldn't be Arizona. Maybe if Carolina dumped the silver or Baltimore?

Also agreed that the Browns' (and Chargers' also) set(s) have a lot of potential but did go a step or two too far (or short, as the case may be with the Chargers).

[KittSmith_95]

I liked the Phins-Jets matchup.

The one matchup that looked bad to me was Falcons/Texans..... If the Texans hadn't gone with leotard look, it would've been passable.... but yeah.

[Sport]

Bengals-Chiefs gets my vote for worst of the week.

It's not the Chiefs fault. It's the Bengals’. Bright sunshiny day, plus two teams in very warm colors and you had this literal eyesore happening. Jeremy Hill dove into the pile on a two point conversion and he got lost. Replays showed he was clearly over the line, but I can’t fault the ref for not being able to see it. Why they chose to wear orange jerseys against that opponent I will never know. When the Bengals wear black against the Chiefs they still don't look good, but at least the two teams are more easily contrasted.

Reminded me of when Wisconsin and Illinois wore red and orange in basketball against each other a few years ago. Just not pleasant to look at.

[ConcreteCharlie]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

I actually like the Cardinals black alts. Also, I don't base the lists on which colors work well (or don't.) I base the list on what I think are the best looking uniforms. Colors "popping", contrast, etc., don't come into play (If it did, then GB - SF would have taken the #1 slot) unless I can't decide between games. For example, this week, it was more or less a toss up between Giants - Bills and Cowboys - Saints for the #3 spot. I went with Giants - Bills because I like the Bills uniforms best of that bunch and because the game looked brighter and more colorful than Cowboys - Saints.

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

One slight problem with that game; the Broncos have ugly, outdated uniforms. The Broncos might see some time on the worst list, but as long as they're wearing their current clown suits, they'll never make the best list. Denver has a great color scheme but the uniforms are really stupid.

If Denver isnt wearing orange and theyre playing a great looking team. They have a chance to make my best list on a bad week

[dsaline97]

The over-designed game of the week:

Browns - Chargers: Lest anyone think I'm picking on Cleveland yet again, let me preface this by saying that, despite my best efforts not to, I'm starting to warm just a little more to the new Browns look each week. As this game so beautifully illustrates, the biggest issue with this new Browns look is it's overdone. There's just too much going on. The same thing can be said about the current Chargers look. Both of these teams have great color schemes and both uniforms have serious potential. But thanks to weird stripe placement and unnecessary additions to the uniforms, they both fall well short of that potential. A few simple fixes could make both of these uniforms "modern classics." Until then, we're stuck with looking at this game and thinking "what if?"

This is exactly why pants word marks aren't good ideas--because they're upside down half the time. Maybe a nice theory on the drawing board, but it doesn't translate well to the field.

I also would've put the Jets and Dolphins up there. The Jets' green pants are one of the better looks in the league, color problems to be damned.

[BBTV]

I thought for sure the Cardinals/Rams game would make your cut for "Worst of the Week." It was so drab. Those black Cardinals jerseys are some of the worst in pro football.

I actually like the Cardinals black alts. Also, I don't base the lists on which colors work well (or don't.) I base the list on what I think are the best looking uniforms. Colors "popping", contrast, etc., don't come into play (If it did, then GB - SF would have taken the #1 slot) unless I can't decide between games. For example, this week, it was more or less a toss up between Giants - Bills and Cowboys - Saints for the #3 spot. I went with Giants - Bills because I like the Bills uniforms best of that bunch and because the game looked brighter and more colorful than Cowboys - Saints.

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

One slight problem with that game; the Broncos have ugly, outdated uniforms. The Broncos might see some time on the worst list, but as long as they're wearing their current clown suits, they'll never make the best list. Denver has a great color scheme but the uniforms are really stupid.

Exactly. When I saw it on my tv it looked great at first, but the silly number font and swooshes just kill it. bright colors work best with relatively conservative looks (not necessarily "old school", just not silly). I wanted to also ding the Vikings for their numbers and black facemask, but I'll let it slide. The helmet finish looked great though.

[infrared41]

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

One slight problem with that game; the Broncos have ugly, outdated uniforms. The Broncos might see some time on the worst list, but as long as they're wearing their current clown suits, they'll never make the best list. Denver has a great color scheme but the uniforms are really stupid.

If Denver isnt wearing orange and theyre playing a great looking team. They have a chance to make my best list on a bad week

That's fine, but this is my list and on my list, the Broncos don't make the cut.

Not to mention, this was hardly a bad week. Every game on the best list is good enough to take the #1 slot in a less competitive week. The Broncos have no chance of making the best list on a bad week. If there's something less than absolutely no chance, that's what the Broncos chances were this week.

[ConcreteCharlie]

whoah no vikings broncos game? That game had the best contrast of any game, it also looked amazing in the bright sunlight.

One slight problem with that game; the Broncos have ugly, outdated uniforms. The Broncos might see some time on the worst list, but as long as they're wearing their current clown suits, they'll never make the best list. Denver has a great color scheme but the uniforms are really stupid.

If Denver isnt wearing orange and theyre playing a great looking team. They have a chance to make my best list on a bad week

That's fine, but this is my list and on my list, the Broncos don't make the cut.

Not to mention, this was hardly a bad week. Every game on the best list is good enough to take the #1 slot in a less competitive week. The Broncos have no chance of making the best list on a bad week. If there's something less than absolutely no chance, that's what the Broncos chances were this week.

I agree that this was a great looking nfl week. Im just sayin the Broncos are middle of the pack if they wear white or blue jerseys. Your lists have been pretty spot on this year but I like to add my own little top 3 sometimes just for kicks so BACK OFF. (just kidding keep up the good work infrared)

[AnPheitseog]

Is there no worst list this week, simply the overdesigned one?

[IceCap]

The over-designed game of the week:

Browns - Chargers: Lest anyone think I'm picking on Cleveland yet again, let me preface this by saying that, despite my best efforts not to, I'm starting to warm just a little more to the new Browns look each week. As this game so beautifully illustrates, the biggest issue with this new Browns look is it's overdone. There's just too much going on. The same thing can be said about the current Chargers look. Both of these teams have great color schemes and both uniforms have serious potential. But thanks to weird stripe placement and unnecessary additions to the uniforms, they both fall well short of that potential. A few simple fixes could make both of these uniforms "modern classics." Until then, we're stuck with looking at this game and thinking "what if?"

We don't have to wonder