"We always play well in the 'blueberries.'"
That sound bite from quarterback Jared Goff from Week 3 in 2023 has formed the foundation of the Detroit Lions' approach to their uniform combination in recent seasons. Whether it's superstition or simply a matter of "look good, feel good," the Lions have made a habit of matching colors in their uniforms. This typically means fans have primarily seen the Lions wear all blue, the "blueberries," at home, or all white, the "marshmallows," on the road in recent seasons.
It's time for that tradition to end.
When the Lions introduced their latest uniform scheme, fans got to see currently unused combinations in the regular season like the blue top and white pants, the white top and blue pants, and the black top and blue pants. The Lions haven't worn the blue top and silver pants since Week 2 of 2024. They have worn the white top and silver pants in back-to-back weeks against the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles to mixed results in an inconistent final stretch.
With the Lions losing their last playoff game donning the blueberries, and sitting at an 8-7 record this season, it makes sense to leave this tradition in the past. Whatever good luck or supernatural effects the mono-color uniforms granted the Lions are now gone. That's not to say the Lions should never go with a mono-color scheme again, but just that it's time to explore underutilized combinations.
Lions record in different uniform combinations
It's been a good run for the blueberries. In the Goff era, the Lions first wore the blueberries in Week 7 of the 2022 season against the Dallas Cowboys, ironically, a loss. They wore it twice more that season, going 2-0 during their late-season surge. They would go on to wear it seven times in 2023, going 7-0, including their two playoff wins. In 2024, the Lions begin 5-0 in the blueberries before their 14-game win streak ended with their playoff loss to the Commanders. This season, the Lions are 2-2 in the all blues, including Sunday's loss vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The all white road uniforms have their own place in history. With "nothing to play for," the Lions wore the marshmallows in their victory over the Green Bay Packers at the end of the 2022 season, going 2-0 that season in that combination. The Lions kept that look for the 2023 season opener against the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, coming up victorious again. The Lions finished 4-2, including their NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers. They would go on to be 8-0 in 2024, and 3-3 this season.
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The return of the Matt Millen-era black uniforms thrilled fans upon their reveal. Thus far, the Lions have only gone with an all-black look, with the next instance being Christmas Day, as the Minnesota Vikings are doing a whiteout. Since its reintroduction, the Lions are 4-1 with a 2-0 record this season.
It was fun while it lasted, but a lot of retooling needs to be done between now and the start of next season, regardless of how this season ends. One minor thing the Lions should do is have fun with uniform combinations. You never know, maybe they can find a new look they can't lose in.