As we approach Super Bowl LIX (aka Super Bowl 59), it’s time for a ranking of every SB uniform pairing ever played, going from worst to first. Of course, these rankings are largely subjective, and I’m sure you won’t agree with the order of my selections. After literally hours of finding and grading all 58 games played to date, I’ve come to the conclusion that ranking games ain’t easy — sure, there are some stinkers and some absolute all time glorious-looking games, but the middle-of-the-pack uni matchups can be a bit tricky.
I began on Monday with the first 12 (ranked from #58 through #47), and I explained the setup in some detail. If you missed that, you may with to check it out to see how I rank the games. Those first 12 games represented the “worst” SB matchups. On Tuesday I unveiled the second 12 games (ranked from #46 through #35), and yesterday was the third 12 games (ranked from #34 through #23).
Today we’ll continue with the second 12 best looking games (ranked from #22 though #11), so these matchups are very very good, just not quite the Top 10. I’ll have the Top 10 best looking Super Bowl matchups tomorrow.
Remember, it’s all subjective, so feel free to disagree in the comments below.
Let’s get started…
#22: SB 26
Buffalo would return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Giants, for their second of four consecutive appearances, and matched up against Washington in what many consider their most classic look. Another really nice pair of unis that would have looked better if the game weren’t played inside the Homer Dome.
#21: SB 28
Another uni-rematch (the second of two consecutive) took place inside the Georgia Dome between the Cowboys and Bills, and would be Buffalo’s fourth consecutive loss in the big game. Unfortunately for Buffalo, this sparked a few “What’s Buffalo’s new area code? Oh-For-Four!” jokes, and made the Vikings feel just a bit better, since their four losses weren’t in consecutive seasons.
#20: SB 27
The uniforms may have been the same as the game above, but this one looked infinitely better since they played it in the warm California sun of the Rose Bowl. This game would be the first of three Supe wins in four years for the team with the lone star on their helmets.
#19: SB 23
Super Bowl 23 was a rematch of SB16, only the home and road designations were reversed. Both teams sported their best ever uniforms (well, except for the Niners fat pants stripes) in a fabulous game on a warm Miami evening.
#18: SB 17
As we close in on the Top 15, we get another really good looking game between Miami and Washington (their second meeting, although this would not be a uni rematch). Another glorious game played in sunny Pasadena would feature revenge for DC, who had fallen to Miami during the Dolphins’ perfect season.
#17: SB 44
It’s hard to believe that a team which hasn’t changed its uniforms in years could look so good a decade and a half ago, but is almost universally reviled today. But that’s the case with the New Orleans Saints who looked lovely in their gold/white/gold against Indy’s white/blue/white. How far have the Saints unis fallen? They wore that combo exactly once during this year’s regular season, and not at all the year before that.
#16: SB 58
While most of the more recent SB matchups aren’t Top 20-worthy, SB 58 produced a pair of classically attired clubs when the Chiefs and 49ers met in what was basically a uni rematch of SB 54. Unfortunately, some of the Niners wore white socks instead of red, and the fact that SB 54 was in Miami (SB 58 was in Las Vegas) will give the better uni-nod to SB 54, which follows.
#15: SB 54
While this game very closely resembles the game played four years later, there were a few differences from the first time KC and SF hooked up. Back then, the 49ers had only two red stripes on their shoulder caps, and were mostly clad in red hose.
#14: SB 41
It doesn’t get much more classic than this: with just a few tweaks over the years, the Colts and Bears could have played a game that looked like this across multiple decades, and it was a beautiful uni contest. It was one of the few bad weather Supes in history, with almost an inch of rain falling, and 20 MPH winds in Miami.
#13: SB 20
It should be a testament to how good the “Pat Patriot” uniforms were that they’re ranked so much higher over every other Super Bowl uniform the Pats have trotted out since — and while da Bears (like KC) are another team I prefer in white pants with white jerseys, the contrast between the red and midnight blue was phenomenal. I might have docked this game a spot or two for the horrible Superdome lighting and field, but how gorgeous were these Pats duds?
#12: SB 18
This game may have been a blowout for the black hole, but there’s just something so great about da Raidahs in silver and black, and Washington wasn’t too shabby either. When you think of DC in the Super Bowl, the white jerseys and burgundy pants are the quintessential look.
#11: SB 4
I know I’m going to catch flak from the previous Weekend Editor for putting this game just outside the Top 10, but this one just doesn’t quite make it. Both teams looked fine (and the field even had some mud), but red/red/white vs. purple/white/white doesn’t have quite the “wow” factor it should.
As I mentioned at the outset, feel free to disagree in the comments below.
Oh, I think SB XVIII should be in the top 10, if not the top 3, although I’m a little biased since that’s the first Super Bowl I actually watched all the way through (it also made me a Raiders fan for the next 10 years and although nothing good ever came of that, I’m not resentful….) Overall there are some really good-looking games on today’s list.
Sigh. Miss socks and sleeves.
It’s somewhat surprising that red isn’t used as the primary color by more teams, with KC being the only one with a red helmet being their primary helmet. I don’t count Washington, since their burgundy isn’t true red.
Curious why SB58 being in Las Vegas, as opposed to Miami factored into the equation? Simply dome dislike?
Vegas has one of the better fields and lighting for sure (and the fact that they have real grass is also a bonus), but yes, I generally prefer the aesthetics of football played outdoors in the elements. I’m sure the fans in attendance prefer the climate controlled comfort domes (even those which can open) offer, but as you have likely seen, games played inside full domes generally look and feel “darker” (especially those played in early domes with terrible lighting and astroturf carpets over poured concrete playing surfaces). More recent games, even if in domes, have looked better than some of the earlier Super Bowls, but I’ll still take an outdoor game over one inside almost every time.
There is something special about natural light that you only get enough of outdoors or at the Vikings stadium
Totally agree
Look at the consistency in the stripes for the Pats. The helmet, the jersey, the pants, the socks: red, white, blue, white, red. Beautiful.
Somebody mail those Buffalo/Dallas photos to the Nike “design experts” and show them what he Cowboys’ pants are supposed to look like.
I never noticed those red/white/blue hashmarks in Super Bowl 28 before! I wonder why they did that? Regardless, it’s a fun little detail.
That was just the two-yard hashmark for extra points. The others were plain white.
SB8 had half of the hashmarks outlined in orange, and the other half outlined in purple.
link
One of my favorite Super Bowl fields.