Detroit Lions Introduce New Blue Helmet/Black Uniforms at MNF

I wasn’t planning on covering this game since we talked about their uniforms and the Seahawks’ uniforms last week. But reader Tim Bullis asked if I would write a review, and since I had some time, I thought, “Why not?”

I watched a good portion of this game last night, and while I didn’t like this particular combination (blue helmet over all black), it’s not worst BFBS uniform we have ever seen.

The first thing I saw was how well the blue helmets matched the blue stripes and numbers. The color match was pretty good and up close every detail looked sharp and the numbers were easy to read.

I’m actually a fan of the new blue helmet. The lighter shade of Honolulu blue the team chose this year is an improvement, at least in my eyes. The black and silver stripes were clearly visible and the black lion on the side was easy to see even in longer shots.

One thing that stood out to me, at least, was the workmanship of the helmet. In some shots it appeared almost metallic, in others the blue appeared almost dull. In others it appeared to have a satin coat.

If you watched the game, you probably noticed this too, but in the long shots (especially when the players were hunched over or not standing upright for some other reason) the blue numbers were very difficult to read. With direct stadium lighting this wasn’t a big problem, but whenever a player was in the “shadow” there were problems with legibility.

Another thing I noticed was that when players wear white underwear, the perforations on the pants are clearly visible. I think someone else noticed this in the comments on the weekend’s games (maybe it was for Washington?). All new pants have this feature. Perhaps some of the players will take this into account and wear matching underwear/compression clothing.

At least it wasn’t a problem keeping the teams apart. The BFBS below the neck and the all white of the Seahawks (plus different colored shells) provided pretty much maximum contrast.

As you all know, I’m not a fan of matching colored socks and pants, but it worked for last night’s game. And I don’t think anyone went “rogue” and wore a different color of socks than their teammates. I noticed that Kerby Joseph wasn’t wearing high socks during warmups, but he did wear them for the game itself (as you’ll see in the video below). I know Carton Davis chose not to wear high socks during the game.

I assume there will be a good future (or maybe not).

Here are a few videos of the game. You can see that the Lions’ numbers are difficult to read in some cases without direct light shining on them.

Kerby’s Extra Epic INT @JKERB25 #SEAvsDET | 📺 ABC/ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/UAll4Mnuth

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 1, 2024

Even when players aren’t in the shadows, the numbers are never special simply to read, but they are readable.

🙌 @amonra_stbrown Show off the toe drag swag @calvinjohnsonjr Day!#SEAvsDET | 📺 ABC/ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ZLFp9aDyow

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 1, 2024

I’m hoping the Lions will wear the blue helmet/black jersey again, but this time with blue pants (as was one of their options at the unveiling). I think this will be a pretty good look on the field. The blue/black/black/black just didn’t do much for me.

What did you think?