12. Detroit Lions
Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85) makes a catch during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The Lions probably jump up a few spots due to (unintentional) home town bias. I’m not afraid to admit that. That being said, I think the Honolulu blue jerseys look amazing both on TV and in the stadium.
The liberal over-use of black outline is not very good, however. They’d be better off removing the black touches completely, including returning to a blue (or possibly gray) face mask. Honolulu blue and silver is a great combination, no need to muddle it up.
I’m not typically one to get over excited about alternate uniforms (the Lions have yet to ever settle on a good one), but I think it would be fun to trot out the Barry Sanders-era threads every now and then (as long as they stay far away from the blue pants).
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
The city of Pittsburgh owns the black and gold color scheme, which makes for a neat sort of continuity for the fans.
The Steelers’ uniform has a lot of good history to it, but not everything historical is always cool. I’ve never been a fan of having the helmet logo only appear on one side, and let’s try not to talk about the striped throwbacks.
It’s a very good uniform, just maybe not quite top-10.
10. Kansas City Chiefs
Aug 17, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Aaron Murray (7) drops back to pass during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Not a uniform I anticipated ranking in the top ten, but I’ve always liked the look of the bright red contrasted with the white (perhaps my high school loyalties play into it).
I like the subtle use of yellow, but the outline of the numbers is maybe a little much.
9. Minnesota Vikings
Aug 16, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rodney Smith (83) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) against the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
How often in sports do we see teams really own the color purple? The Vikings do, and they do it rather excellently. It’s now a classic look that needs nothing more than a light-handed tweak every now and then.
The matte finish on the helmet looks good, and I think the black face mask here works.
Next: 8-5