infrared41's Best and Worst 2022 - NFL Week One

[infrared41]

Before we get started, major kudos to @BBTV for doing a fantastic job of running the show last season. My original idea for this season was to combine our considerable talents and make this thing a joint venture, but Vet's work schedule won't allow it. So...after a two year hiatus, you're stuck with me again. It's been a while and Vet did things a little differently than I do so  let's do a brief recap.

 

In my humble opinion,  "a good color match up" does not necessarily  make for a good uniform match up. I decide the lists solely on which games I think looked the best and which games looked the worst. I have no "rules" or "formula" that I use to rank the games. It's all simply a matter of what I liked the best or disliked the most. There will be times where something like sunshine will make a difference, but it's not a hard and fast rule. Finally, I don't care about socks. Do I wish teams would always go with the best sock for the uniform? Of course, but socks are not something I get too worked up about.

 

As always, your opinion (including the idea that nice colors make for a good match up) may differ from mine and that's perfectly fine. All I ask is that we keep the conversation civil.  Let's get started.

 

BEST

 

1. 49ers - Bears: Two of the best uniforms in the league. It's a shame they had to face off in such terrible conditions. Every game should look this good. This one is already in the running for match up of the year.

 

 

2. Raiders - Chargers: Another great looking game. Still wish the Chargers had gone with black numbers on the helmet, but considering what an upgrade the current look is, I can live with the blue. The Raiders road look is one of my favorites.

 

 

3. Steelers - Bengals: Welcome back to being a weekly contender for the best list, Cincinnati. It's been...you know what...you've never been a weekly best list contender while I've been doing this bit so welcome aboard, I guess. It's about time. The Steelers looked great...as usual.

 

 

4. Browns - Panthers: Yeah, the Panthers set is really showing its age, but the all white vs. the classic Browns look still works. I know I said I don't care about socks, but bonus points to the Browns for the socks.

 

 

5. Bucs - Cowboys: This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the Bucs red over white is their best look. Bring back the "shiny" pewter pants and I might change my mind, but until then, this is the way. Some new guy is going to roll in here and point out all the issues with the Cowboys uniforms and my answer will be what it's always been; I don't care. It's a great look flaws and all.

 

 

6. Packers - Vikings: Loved the Vikings set when it debuted, but I've liked it a little less every season since. It's still a really good look, but it's starting to feel a little too much of its time...if that makes any sense. Packers are about as close to perfect as we're going to get.

 

 

 

Honorable Mention:

 

Colts - Texans: Houston made the right choice by going all white in this game. The blue pants would have been some serious blue overkill. Never change, Colts.

 

 

 

WORST

 

1. Broncos - Seahawks: Do I really need to explain this one? I will pass along what my friend, Mick, said about the Seahawks uniforms"they look like those green popsicles no one would eat when we were kids." Exactly.

 

 

2. Patriots - Dolphins: This match up could look great. Give the Pats some white or silver pants, put the Dolphins in their throwbacks, and this one is vying for the top spot on the best list. Instead we got a high school team taking on a team sponsored by a cruise line. So close,  but close doesn't get there in the cutthroat world of uniform aesthetics.

 

 

3. Saints - Falcons: Why did the Saints think playing the game in long underwear was a good idea? Good lord, they looked ridiculous. Feel free to mix in a stripe or two somehwere. Atlanta, your uniform situation is best described with a golf analogy. When you decided to update your look, all you had to do to was sink a two inch putt (go with the throwbacks) and you somehow managed to knock that two inch put into a water hazard while setting the course on fire. Throw your entire set into a dumpster and start over again.

 

 

 

That's it for this week. We'll reset and do it all again next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ManillaToad]

Normally I'd go with Raiders/Chargers for the best matchup this week because something about AFCW rivalry games is aesthetic heaven for me. However, I absolutely love rain games, especially downpours that affect the level of play. Pair that with a classic uni matchup in 49ers vs Bears and it's an easy choice.

[gothedistance]

The worst game of the week is Chiefs vs Cardinals. All that red is an eyesore.

[Chawls]

Glad you’re back, @infrared41. This thread is an annual favorite of mine. 
 

A couple of questions about your opinions:

 

1.  Where do you stand on the Chargers wearing white pants versus yellow pants?

 

2.  I sincerely don’t know what you mean about the Vikings uniforms being of the time. Do you mind elaborating please?

[Indigo]

I'm going to preface this by saying that I don't think the Vikes jerseys are overrated, becuase I don't want there to be any confusion.

However, I think part of the novelty of Minnesota's new uniforms was the fact that they had looked absolutely horrendous beforehand, and since we're (almost) 10 years removed from that, the new-ness of it is starting to wear off.  While the set is great, it's definitely starting to reek of mid-2010s, and ten years from now, if Minny is still wearing them, we're gonna look back and be amazed how this set had lasted that long.

Obviously, I don't speak for @infrared41, and I'm not trying to. But the Vikings set is starting to show its age.

[burgundy]

1 hour ago, Chawls said:

2.  I sincerely don’t know what you mean about the Vikings uniforms being of the time. Do you mind elaborating please?

 

The references to "the sails of Viking longships" in an otherwise classic-inspired uniform is very 2010s. Make the white sleeve stripes straight across and remove the weird number serifs, and that's a timeless look.

 

[ZapRowsdower8]

I wish the Chargers would only break out the yellow pants when they are on the road. White-Blue-Yellow-Blue doesn't work for me. Same reason I dislike the University of Wyoming when they go with an A-B-C-B look. 

[DCarp1231]

Solid list. As far as your best go, I’d rank em

 

1. OAK-LAC

2. SF-CHI

3. TB-DAL

4. CIN-PIT

5. GB-MIN

6. CLE-CAR

[infrared41]

3 hours ago, Chawls said:

I sincerely don’t know what you mean about the Vikings uniforms being of the time. Do you mind elaborating please?

 

LA Fakers sums it up pretty well.

 

3 hours ago, LA Fakers+ LA Snippers said:

I'm going to preface this by saying that I don't think the Vikes jerseys are overrated, becuase I don't want there to be any confusion.

However, I think part of the novelty of Minnesota's new uniforms was the fact that they had looked absolutely horrendous beforehand, and since we're (almost) 10 years removed from that, the new-ness of it is starting to wear off.  While the set is great, it's definitely starting to reek of mid-2010s, and ten years from now, if Minny is still wearing them, we're gonna look back and be amazed how this set had lasted that long.

Obviously, I don't speak for @infrared41, and I'm not trying to. But the Vikings set is starting to show its age.

 

That's pretty much what I was trying to say.

[infrared41]

3 hours ago, Chawls said:

Where do you stand on the Chargers wearing white pants versus yellow pants?

 

I like both looks well enough, but if I were in charge, the Chargers would wear white over yellow and blue over white.

[infrared41]

2 hours ago, burgundy said:

 

The references to "the sails of Viking longships" in an otherwise classic-inspired uniform is very 2010s. Make the white sleeve stripes straight across and remove the weird number serifs, and that's a timeless look.

 

 

Exactly.

[Sport]

The Bengals Nemo pants still irk me and they keep losing big games in that black-white-orange uniform combo (Like, I don't know, THE SUPER BOWL!), but they still look so good. 

[raysox]

I can understand why people don't like the set, but I really don't mind the Falcons look. The throwbacks are clean, but these feel like a decent modern take on a football uniform. The falcons seem to picture themselves as fierce and fast and I think these match the logo better than the previous version did or the throwbacks would. Hell my biggest gripe is the drop shadow on the numbers.

[GrayJ12]

Those Seahawks unis are an all-out assault on the retinas. Someone needs to wear that on the airport runway trying to land an airplane.

[Indigo]

 

1 hour ago, GrayJ12 said:

Those Seahawks unis are an all-out assault on the retinas. Someone needs to wear that on the airport runway trying to land an airplane.

They already do:

[GrayJ12]

53 minutes ago, LA Fakers+ LA Snippers said:

 

They already do:

The air traffic peeps need to sue for copyright infringement.

[Germanshepherd]

I actually think the conditions helped the Bears/49ers game greatly. A game in that weather is bound to produce some epic photos, which I’m glad were shared between two of the best uniform sets in the league. 
 

 

[-Akronite-]

On 9/16/2022 at 12:54 AM, Germanshepherd said:

I actually think the conditions helped the Bears/49ers game greatly. A game in that weather is bound to produce some epic photos, which I’m glad were shared between two of the best uniform sets in the league. 
 

 

 

This photo certainly makes the case for that game. Based on the photos included in the OP, I'd go Raiders-Chargers.

 

But I'll zag in here and say Seahawks-Broncos was a fun, modern matchup. While I'd make some tweaks overall I think Seattle's aesthetic is cool and the game could've been a mess of too much navy.

[infrared41]

7 hours ago, -Akronite- said:

But I'll zag in here and say Seahawks-Broncos was a fun, modern matchup.

 

There's always one.

[rainmaker17]

I think I'm the only one who likes the Vikings "sail" number scheme.