Previewing the NFL’s Week 17 Weekend Uniform Matchups

The penultimate weekend for the NFL’s regular season will feature a number of good looking matchups, highlighted by the Eagles wearing their kelly green throwback uniforms against the Dallas Cowboys. As you’ll see, there isn’t even a standout game here that should even sniff the And One (although the Christmas and TNF games will probably have that covered). Other than the Eagles throwbacks, there aren’t any teams wearing alternates of any kind, although Monday Night Football will have the 49ers in their 1955/1994 fauxback/throwback. But it’s pretty much all “regular” uniforms this weekend, and that’s a good thing!

Who’ll challenge for the Top 5 and who’ll need to go back to the uni-drawing board? Let’s look at the contenders below.

This post will be updated as teams who have not announced full combos do so.

Saturday Games:

Chargers vs. Patriots

We have three games this Saturday, with the Chargers and Patriots kicking off the festivities. This should be a decent-good looking game, with the Pats back in their silver pants for the eighth game this season — those pants look especially good when paired with the Pats’ navy tops. And of course the Chargers always look good, going with gold pants on the road.

Broncos vs. Bengals

As is their wont, the Broncos won’t be unveiling their pants and socks until (most likely) tomorrow, but we know they’ll be in blue helmets and white jerseys. It’s probably likely the Broncos won’t wear their orange pants (as the Bengals primary colors are orange and black), but you never know. I’d love to see orange pants with blue socks — but the white or blue pants will work just as well, so long as they wear color-contrasting socks. The Bengals will be in what we can probably consider their “primary” look of orange/black/white/orange. [Note: The Broncos always throw up a “fake” combo a day or so before the game for some reason, but their pants/socks are always different. Here’s what they posted Friday, which in almost all likelihood means their Sunday pants/socks will differ.]

Cardinals vs. Rams

The final game tomorrow is between the Rams and Cardinals, and with the uniform choices shown, it should be a pretty good matchup. The Cards’ best uniform is their all-white roads, and LA’s best home uniform is royal over sol, and that’s the pairing for tomorrow evening. It might even contend for a Top 5!

Sunday Early Games

Panthers vs. Buccaneers

Like the Broncos, the Panthers don’t normally announce their pants and hose until shortly before the game, and the team have paired their silver helmets/white jerseys with white, blue and black pants this season. They could still wear blue pants/black socks or black pants with blue socks to create another new combo. The Buccaneers will counter with their red jerseys and pewter pants for the third time in the past four weeks (after going the first 13 weeks without ever wearing that combo). Depending on Carolina’s lower half stylings, this may be a top fiver.

UPDATE: The Panthers will wear white pants and blue socks.

Cowboys vs. Eagles

The Eagles won’t be donning white at home to force the Cowboys into their “bad luck blues,” and that’s a good thing, because the Eagles will be wearing their luscious kelly green throwbacks! Dallas will instead be in their regular primary uniforms, so this should be a very good looking game. Pretty much a T-5 lock!

Colts vs. Giants

Sunday’s game between the G-men and Colts should look pretty much as it does above (game played 1/1/23), with one definite exception: the Giants are wearing a 100th Anniversary patch on their jerseys this season. And the Colts have been wearing white hosiery with the white jerseys for all but one game of the season, so it’s probable they’ll be in mono-white for this game as well.

Raiders vs. Saints

Technically, neither team has unveiled its uniforms (including jerseys) for this game, but I’m fully expecting it to look like the above photo, from the waist up. In fact, I’d be further willing to bet the Saints go mono-black to the Raiders’ silver/white/silver-gray. It would be fantastic if the Saints bust out their gold pants, but I’m not holding my breath.

UPDATE #1: The Raiders will be in silver pants and black socks.

UPDATE #2: The Saints will be in mono-black.

Jets vs. Bills

As of this writing, Jets owner Woody Johnson still hasn’t tweeted the Jets’ combo, so what you see above is subject to change. Buffalo will definitely be in white/blue/white/blue (their absolute best look). Unless the Jets decide to wear same color pants/socks, this will be a great looking game, and an easy T-5 contender.

UPDATE: The Jets will indeed be in green pants and white socks.

Titans vs. Jaguars

It’ll be a bit of a color palette special for Sunday’s tilt between the Jags and Titans, with the Titans wearing navy/white/powder/white, and the Jaguars countering with black/teal/white/black. While I like colors like powder blue and teal individually, they don’t always play well together, but I’ll wait to see this matchup before I dismiss the combos. With so many other good looking games already on the docket, this probably won’t sniff the T-5, but it won’t be in the running for the dreaded And One either.

Sunday Late Games

Dolphins vs. Browns

This matchup is good — the Dolphins are in mono-white, with the Browns in their standard orange/brown/white — but it could be even better if the Browns would wear orange pants (and the Dolphins wear aqua socks). But that’s not in the cards so it’ll be tough for this game to crack the Top Five.

Packers vs. Vikings

The Packers will be in their standard gold/white/gold/green — a gorgeous combo — for their big NFC North showdown in Minnesota against the Vikings, who’ll be in purple/purple/white/white. My only complaint here is the Vikes wearing white hose, instead of purple, but it should still be a pretty sweet matchup. And with the Packers at 11-4 and the Vikings at 13-2, both teams have already punched their tickets to the post-season, and will be fighting for seeding as well as the NFC North title. The NFC North will have three teams (Pack, Vikes and Lions) not just in the post season, but it’s possible all three teams will have the best records in the NFC — but only one of them will get a bye and #1 seed, while the other two will have to fight it out on Wild Card weekend.

Sunday Night Football

Falcons vs. Commanders

As of this writing, the Commanders still have not unveiled their pants, but I’m expecting them to wear gold pants and burgundy socks. The Falcons will counter by going black/white/black/white — not a terrible combo, but not a great one either. With so many good looking games on the docket, this will probably not be in contention for the Top 5, but it’ll be a nice SNF game, uni-wise, if the Commanders wear gold trou. I’m not sure how many of us expected a Falcons/Commanders game to be flexed into Sunday night when the season began, but here we are, with the Commanders holding the 7-seed and the Falcons currently in the 4-spot, as they lead the NFC south in the standings. Good on both teams for nice runs this year!

And there you have it — the matchups, as currently known, for Sunday’s games. Obviously I’ll update this once the teams who have not declared their sartorial choices have done so.

Monday Night’s game will have the 49ers in throwbacks, and I fully expect the Lions to stick with their all-white road uniforms (in which they are currently undefeated this season).

Keep checking back for updates!