Week 12 Weekly Uniform Rankings


So the end of pro football's longest weekend has come. Here then, are the rankings:

#16. Bills-Colts: BUF in all white, IND in blue/white. The Bills blue pants would have been a big plus for this matchup. Would have given a near perfect balance of blues and whites. But the Bills go all white against the Colts standard blue jersey and white pants. No. Darn. Downgrade.

#15. Titans-Jaguars: TEN in white/columbia blue, JAX in all black. Well, here come the Jags, all dressed in black. The Titans respond in white and light blue. Not one of the better ones. Not much else to say here.

#14. Broncos-Chiefs: DEN in all white, KC in red/white. No surprises whatsoever here. That doesn't make this a bad matchup, it's not exceptional either. But, that brilliant Chief red jerseys and the Broncos blue trimmed whites is good standard fare.

#13. Panthers-Eagles: CAR in all white, PHI in green/white. This could have been a wild one had the Panthers gone with black pants and/or the Eagles rocked some green trousers. But the two play it close to the vest for a Monday night. While the white pants worn by both sides don't hurt this matchup, it doesn't necessarily help, either.

#12. Vikings-Bears: MIN in all white, CHI in navy/white. Another predictable set-up. Traditional. While white dominates here, the navy, purple, yellow and orange gives a colorful trim to the scene.

#11. Raiders-Bengals: OAK in white/silver, CIN in black/white. I must give the Bengals credit. Could have gone all black and that - I believe - would have been a bad move here. This makes the Raiders silver helmet and pants shine a bit more. Better than I would have expected.

#10. Falcons-Buccaneers: ATL in all white, TB in red/pewter. The Bucs' red jerseys really pumps this one up against the rather blah all whites of the Falcons. I have always liked the Bucs red jerseys, which have basically been unchanged since the Bucs 1997 overhaul. This matchup is where it saves the day.

#9. Seahawks-Dolphins: SEA in navy/gray, MIA in all white. Good on ya, Seahawks! Going with the gray pants actually adds a little spark to this one that not even the sprinklers could dampen. The Seahawks gray pants do appear to be following a pattern of being worn for all the Seahawks road games, while the navy pants are saved for the home games. The Dolphins stay in their all white homes.

#8. 49ers-Saints: SF in white/gold, NO in black/black. Eight games in a row for the Saints in black pants. And this is a good thing. Offsets a gold rush with just that right amount of auric. The Niners red trim adds just the right touch. Nice one.

#7. Texans-Lions: HOU in white/navy, DET in honolulu blue/silver. No Lions throwbacks, and that's probably just as well as the Texans really don't have any. While this was a rather blue encounter, it was a very good blue one. Nice tints of the blue coupled with silver and red accoutrements made this a good prelude to a Thanksgiving feast.

#6. Patriots-Jets: NE in white/navy. NYJ in green/green. While this game turned into a farce, the uni matchup was anything but. For the first (and I hope, not the last) time, the Jets bust out the green pants. This gives this game a much needed boost of color. Looked really sweet from these eyes, and that's all that matters!

#5. Packers-Giants: GB in white/yellow, NYG in blue/gray. The two rivals matchup well with varying colors. Gray, blue, red, green, yellow. One of the better ones for Week 12.

#4. Ravens-Chargers: BAL in white/black, SD in alternate powder blue/white. The Chargers wearin' of the powders always rachets up their game in the rankings. It's just such a good looking outfit in my eyes. Ravens in white jerseys and black pants do add a tad to the proceedings, but it's the Chargers who take center stage here.

#3. Steelers-Browns: PIT in white/yellow, CLE in brown/white. For many years, these rivals played with the Browns normally in all white with the Steelers in black jerseys and yellow pants. But when the role reverses and the Steelers wear white and the Browns wear brown, to me it is very eye appealing. It just opens up an autumnal array of color; black, orange, yellow, brown. Pumpkin pie goes well with this matchup!

#2. Redskins-Cowboys: WSH in white/yellow, DAL in throwback dark blue/white. This is a bit on the splendid side. Redskins whip out the yellow pants and the Cowboys rock their annual ode to the team's origins in blue and white. Because of this, of course, the Cowboys wear dark at home. Always a plus. One of the better matchups for the week.

#1. Rams-Cardinals: STL in white/dark blue, ARZ in red/white. As long as one team went with dark pants, it would be a plus for me. And the Rams obliged. Come to think of it, they were the right team. I have been moaning about the Cardinals not breaking out red pants all season long. Not this time. This is a plus matchup. A perfect blend.



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A Head-to-Head History: The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints


 The Falcons and Saints joined the NFL a year apart during the transitional, pre-merger phase of the league. Prior to Atlanta joining in 1966 and New Orleans in 1967, the southernmost team on the coast had been in Washington DC. They became natural rivals, as bus loads of fans venture on seven-hour road trip between the cities when they play one another. A further non-geographic bond is the fact that the franchises share the same all-time leading scorer - Morten Andersen (New Orleans 1982 - 1994, 1,318 points; Atlanta 1995 - 2000, 2006 - 2007; 806 points.)

Although they currently reside in the NFC South Division, the Dixie Rivalry began in the post-merger NFL's NFC West in 1970. They usually battled with one another to stay out of the division's basement, as the Rams and 49'ers more often that not finished at the top. Prior to 1970 the Falcons resided in the NFL Coastal Division while the Saints rotated between the Capital and Century Divisions.

Like most expansion teams, the Falcons and Saints struggled on the field with roster mostly stocked with young players and veteran cast-offs, as there were no quick fixes available via free agency. The first meeting between the teams took place in Week 11 of the 1967 season, where the 1-8-1 Falcons visited the 1-9 Saints in Tulane Stadium. Billy Kilmer lead New Orleans on a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter for a 24-20 win. Two minute drives and comeback victories would become a recurring theme over the years.

That was not the case in 1973 though. In the midst of a nine-game win streak against their Southern rivals, the Falcons set a team record for points in a remarkable one-sided rout. After the end of a 0-0 first quarter, Atlanta went on a scoring rampage that saw them rack up 62 points. The Falcon offense was unstoppable, moving the chains with 32 first downs on the strength of 218 rushing yards, while the Saints offense was error prone, turning the ball over eight times, including five interceptions by Archie Manning.

The balance of the 70's saw the rivalry achieve competitive balance, with many of the signature moments occurring in New Orleans Super Dome. In 1978 Atlanta became the first of the two teams to qualify for the post season, and a signature win over the Saints in November helped them get there. The 5-5 Saints carried a 17-6 late into the fourth quarter against the 6-4 Falcons. Atlanta quarterback Steve Bartkowski lead the Falcons on a touchdown drive that closed the gap to 17-13 with 0:57 on the clock. After recovering the attempted on-sides kick, New Orleans attempted to run out the clock. Coach Dick Nolan elected to run a play on fourth-and-two, but halfback Chuck Muncie was stopped short of the line to gain and the Atlanta offense came back onto the field with 19 seconds left. Bartkowski lined up under center with three receivers split out wide to the right of the formation. The Saints were deployed in a prevent package featuring seven defensive backs. Bartkowski heaved a desperation pass toward the end zone, where his receivers attempted to get under the pass in heavy traffic. At least a dozen hands from both teams reached up to either grab or bat the ball down, but Falcon receiver Alfred Jenkins came away with possession off a tip, avoided several defenders and crossed the goal line for the decisive and dramatic 57-yard score. The "Big Ben" play lead highlight programs across the country and the momentum seizing win not only propelled Atlanta on a playoff run, they produced a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round before losing to the eventual NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional playoffs.

The schedule makers didn't do the New Orleans faithful any favors by schedule a visit from Atlanta on opening day the following season. The back-and-forth shootout saw the teams combine for over 1,000 yards of offense, with stars from both teams rack up impressive offensive numbers: Muncie and Atlanta rookie William Andrews each eclipsed 160 rushing yards, Jenkins had seven catches and a touchdown for the Falcons, while Wes Chandler produced 205 yards on just six catches, including a 40-yard score on an option pass from Muncie. Late in the game, then into overtime, New Orleans rookie kicker/punter Russel Erxleben experienced the highs and lows of his dual profession. Manning lead the Saints on a late drive that was capped with Erxleben's 38-yard field goal knotting the score at 34-34 with 44 seconds remaining. Midway through the extra period, Erxleben had the ball snapped over his head in the punt formation from the New Orleans 32 yard line. He scooped it up near his own goal line, then hurried a two-handed pass under pressure into the hands of Falcon James Mayberry who scored from six yards out for the stunning 40-34 win. Atlanta finished the 1979 season a disappointing 6-10, while the Saints recovered somewhat, finishing a then franchise best 8-8.

1991 saw a reversal of fortunes in the NFC West. the Saints finished in first place at 11-5 and the Falcons qualified as a Wild Card at 10-6, marking the first time either the 49'ers or Rams were left out of the post season since 1982. Three second half lead changes were capped by Michael Haynes 61-yard touchdown pass from Chris Miller with 2:41 remaining. New Orleans took possession on their own 17, and advanced to Atlanta's 35 with 1:10 to play. Bobby Hebert's pass was intercepted by Tim McKyer, who lateraled the ball to Deion Sanders, who ran around before lateraling to Joe Fishback who finished the play with an apparent touchdown. Following instant replay, it was determined Sander's exchange with Fishback was a forward pass, disqualifying the touchdown but the Falcons retained possession and ran the clock out. The loss was especially tough for New Orleans to take. Having made the post season three of the previous four seasons, each had ended with a one-game exit without a victory. The Falcons lost the following week to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins.

Morten Andersen made one of his final game winning kicks for the Saints against his future team in 1994. The offensive game was remarkable in the fact that New Orleans was able to pull off the victory despite turning the ball over five times. the Falcons were unable to capitalize, despite churning out almost 400 yards of offense, they settled for six Norm Johnson field goals. The kicking duel was settled in the final two minutes of the game. Johnson booted a 30-yard field goal to put Atlanta ahead 32-30 with 1:44 remaining, but Andersen's fifth field goal of the day came from 39-yards out and just 0:08 left on the clock decided the outcome, 33-32.

New Orleans probably regretted letting Andersen leave via free agency following the 1994 season, as he signed with the Atlanta and was directly responsible for a Falcon sweep of the Saints in 1995. During his return to the Super Dome in September, Andersen booted four field goals, including a 21-yarder in overtime for the 24-21 Falcon win. In the December meeting at Georgia Dome, Andersen again was the deciding factor for the Falcons offense, but this time from long range. He set an NFL record with three successful attempts from 50 yards out - 51 and 55 twice - as Atlanta won 19-14.

The most poignant meeting, though albeit not the greatest game, was the Saints return to the Super Dome on September 25, 2006. After spending the 2005 season playing their "home" games at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints returned home with a new head coach and quarterback and a 2-0 record. Atlanta was also 2-0, but were unable to match the intensity of the Saints or their fans in the raucous dome. After surrendering a touchdown on a blocked punt, the Falcons managed an Andersen field goal and nothing more. The inspired New Orleans defense dominated, yielding just 10 first downs to Atlanta while holding Michael Vick to 12-31 passing for just 137 yards. Drew Brees' debut in New Orleans was modest statistically, but he was efficient and the Saints went on to a 23-3 win, a 10-6 record and NFC South Title and a trip tot eh NFC Championship game, where they ultimately lost to the Chicago Bears. changes would soon be in store for the Falcons as well, but the groundwork had been prepared for the Saints and Falcons to finally emerge as contenders at the same time.

The meeting at the Super Dome in Week 3 was a key meeting between the two rivals. The 1-1 Saints were defending Super Bowl Champions while the Falcons were coming off the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. The game featured four lead changes as quarterbacks Brees and Matt Ryan moved their respective offenses up and down the field. Lance Moore's 16-yard touchdown reception at the end of the third quarter gave the Saints a 21-17 lead. Ryan responded by leading Atlanta on a 10-play drive that was capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White to regain the lead 24-21. Following an exchange of punts, Brees guided New Orleans to a tying field goal with nine seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime. The Falcons received the kickoff and punted after three plays. Four Brees completions moved New Orleans from their own 32 to the Atlanta 11. Seemingly in safe position, the Saints elected for a 29-yard field goal attempt on first down, but Garret Hartley pulled the ball wide left despite kicking from the right hash mark. Ryan and the Falcons capitalized, methodically advancing the ball from their own 20 to the Saints 23 in 12 plays. Matt Bryant's 46-yard attempt was good for the 27-24 win. Atlanta finished atop the NFC South with a 13-3 record with New Orleans second at 11-5, however both teams lost their first post season contests.

Tonight the Falcons off look to get revenge on the Saints who handed them their first lost three weeks ago, while the Saints try to stay in the playoff hunt after a 0-4 start.
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The "Super Sundays" That Could Have Been...11-15

Here I am again, back for the third installment that will determine whether or not we got the 'best looking' game to end the season (because we all know the Pro Bowl doesn't really count for that!)

 Today we'll be looking at the next five games starting with...

1976 (XI) - Oakland (AFC) vs. Minnesota (NFC)
ACTUAL: Very good combo. The look is bolstered by the fact that Oakland won without being in their intimidating black jerseys.
ALTERNATE: To be honest, if this was the match-up we saw, I think the game would have been even more lopsided than it was.
EDGE: ACTUAL
Which Super Bowl XI combo do you prefer?
  
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1977 (XII) - Dallas (NFC) vs. Denver (AFC)
ACTUAL: No matter who the home team was, this was the game we were going to see.

ALTERNATE: I like the Dallas blues more than the whites...but not here. The Denver orange drives the Actual's look over this almost total blue vision.
EDGE: ACTUAL


Which Super Bowl XII combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

1978 (XIII) - Pittsburgh (AFC) vs. Dallas (NFC)
ACTUAL: As with the game three years earlier, no matter who the home team was, we'd see this match-up.

ALTERNATE: Again, this would have made an interesting look in a Preseason affair, but not in a game of this magnitude.
EDGE: ACTUAL


Which Super Bowl XIII combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

1979 (XIV) - Los Angeles (NFC) vs. Pittsburgh (AFC)
ACTUAL: This is really going to be a tough call. This was actually the first one that I truly remember watching (I was turning 7 two months later) on TV since my Dad was at the game. The way the Steelers played when the sun went down and darkness took over the Rose Bowl just wouldn't have been the same in the Alternate apparel.
ALTERNATE: I'm having a hard time here because I think the Rams in blue would have added more to this game visually than the Steelers in black. The alternating pattern said Pittsburgh was the home team but come on! The game was in Los Angeles for crying out loud! Since we are just going on 'looks,' I have to lean towards this version.
EDGE: ALTERNATE


Which Super Bowl XIV combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

1980 (XV) - Oakland (AFC) vs. Philadelphia (NFC)
ACTUAL: My parents went to a party the night of this game given by fans of the Eagles and left me home with the babysitter - Keri Ketchell, where are you now? I clearly remember this was the match-up I had wanted to see and I got my wish.
ALTERNATE: There's just too much silver and black and not enough of anything else.
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl XV combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


With a second consecutive cluster of games going 4-1 in favor of ACTUAL on my scorecard, the total is now ACTUAL - 10, ALTERNATE - 5. Can ALTERNATE begin to mount a comeback? Or does the GUD community see things differently than I do?

Make sure you cast your votes and tune in next week for the next offering of games.
Bill Schaefer
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A Head-to-Head History: The Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings



The Minnesota Vikings joined the NFL's Western Division as an expansion team in 1961 and wasted no time making their mark with a surprising upset in their very first game, a 37-13 whipping of their new Western Division rival Chicago Bears in Metropolitan Stadium. Possibly even more unique than their rookie scrambling quarterback Fran Tarkenton was the fact that the Viking's uniforms featured purple as their primary color, the last team to do so was the 1933 Portsmouth Spartans. Tarkenton had a magnificent afternoon in his debut, throwing for 250 yards and four touchdowns against George Halas' normally stout defensive unit that featured future Hall of Fame members Bill George and Doug Atkins. 
Normalcy returned in their second match-up that year as the established team Chicago rolled to a 52-35 win at Wrigley Field. That win set off a period of domination where the Bears record against the Vikings would be 11-2-2, which included and NFL Championship for the Bears in 1963.
Butkus and the Bears captured the 1963 NFL Title, while Marshall and the Vikings
got theirs in 1969, before losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.
Payton carries against
Minnesota in 1983
In 1984 the Bears emerged as the divisions dominant team and had one of the great season in NFL history in 1985 when the 15-1 Bears ran roughshod over the NFL on their way to a dominant victory in Super Bowl XX. By the time Chicago came to visit Minnesota in Week 7 of the 1986 season, the Bears had won 12 consecutive games, which included six-in-a-row against their divisional foes. The most recent came just two weeks earlier in Soldier Field where the Bears bullied Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer with seven sacks in a miserable 11-for-30 performance in a 23-0 rout. Things were quite the opposite in the Metrodome however. Kramer was six for six for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, giving Minnesota an early lead and allowing his defense to return the favor on Bears signal caller Steve Fuller with seven sacks of their own. The Vikings out-gained Chicago 263-56 in total yards in the first half as they built a 16-0 lead. The final tally ended 23-7 as the stout Minnesota defense limited Payton to 28 yards on nice carries. The Vikings finished in second place in the division with a 9-7 record but did not qualify for the playoffs. Chicago went on to a 14-2 record but were upset at home in the Divisional Round by the Washington Redskins.
Harbaugh and Ditka get into it in 1992
The division rivals met in Week 14 of the 1994 season with the NFC Central title on the line. The 8-4 Bears and 7-5 Vikings exchanged the lead four times through the first three quarters as the Bears lead 24-16. Warren Moon lead Minnesota on scoring drives for a field goal, then a touchdown capped with a two-point conversion to retake the lead for Minnesota 27-24 with 4:12 remaining. Steve Walsh then lead the Bears on a drive that tied the game with a 33-yard Kevin Butler field goal at 1:55 tying the score 27-27. Butler had a chance to win the game with a 40-yard attempt in overtime but the ball sailed wide left. From their own 35, Moon lofted a pass to Chris Carter at mid-field, who had made a double-move, and outraced the Bears secondary the final 50 yards for the deciding 65-yard touchdown for a stunning 33-27 win.  Minnesota went on to win the division at 10-6 and the Chicago finished second at 9-7. The two met again at the Metrodome in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Chicago took the rematch with an opportunistic defense, intercepting Moon twice and recovering two fumbles, while limiting the Vikings to only 49 yards on the ground in a 35-18 win. The Bears would lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers the following week. 
Although most Vikings-Bears meetings were fairly typical uniform-wise, in 2007 in the Metrodome, the Vikings went mono-purple, while the following year they
went retro and the Bears went mono-white...
...and in the second game in 2008 in Chicago, the Bears broke out the Orange Alts...
...and two years later in November 2010, the Bears went retro themselves,
while the Vikings donned purple pants
The Vikings won the next two meetings in Minnesota, while the Bears then won the following two meetings in Chicago.  The second meeting, in late 2010, after a winter storm collapsed the Metrodome roof, was played in frigid temperatures at University of Minnesota's TCF Bank stadium.  It would be memorable for being the final appearance of Brett Favre's career, and the Vikings would lose 40-14.
The arrival of head coach Bud Grant from the CFL and the Purple People Eaters front four featuring Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen turned the tide of the series. From 1969 through 1983 the Vikings record against Chicago was 22-6. This period included 10 Division Titles and many epic playoff contests with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, all four Super Bowl appearances for the Vikings ended with disappointing losses.
In the midst of this Minnesota NFC Central domination, came a record setting performance from a remarkable player. In  Week 10 of the 1977 season the 6-3 Vikings visited the 4-5 bears. Halfback Walter Payton was ill with the flu, but coach Jack Pardee knew his star back was Chicago's only chance against Minnesota's strong defensive front.  Chicago's first play on the cold, damp, windy afternoon at Soldier Field was an end run where Payton charged ahead for 29 yards. The all rush drive ended in Minnesota territory on a failed fake field goal attempt, but Payton would fin the end zone in the second quarter on a one yard plunge, and a Bob Thomas field goal gave the Bears a 10-0 halftime lead. The weather conditions were so foul that Bears quarterback Bob Avellini attempted just one pass in the half, a six-yard completion to Payton, who had 26 carries for 144 yards - an impressive total for a full game! The first Bears possession of the third quarter resulted in a punt being blocked for a Viking touchdown, cutting the lead to 10-7. Both defenses clamped down and yards were at a premium. When the Bears received the ball at their own 20 yard line with 5:38 Payton had 201 yards on 36 carries. After picking up a first down, Payton gained 58 yards on his 38th carry, being tackled at the Vikings nine-yard line. Two rushes and a sack gave Chicago a fourth-and-goal and coach Pardee did not have confidence in a field goal attempt, even from short range. Payton rushed for six and was tackled at the two, giving him 275 yards, breaking O.J. Simpson's record of 273. The Bears defense held on for the victory, evening Chicago's record at 5-5. Both teams finished the season at 9-5. The Bears qualified for the post season for the first time since 1963 but lost to Dallas in the Wild Card Round. Minnesota won the Central Division, defeated the Rams in the Divisional round but lost to the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game.

One of the series most unforgettable moments occurred in the fourth quarter of a game at the Metrodome in October 1992 with Chicago nursing what seemed like a comfortable 20-0 lead. Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh had played well, leading four scoring drives, throwing for a touchdown and running for another. On a first down he called an audible, but telegraphed a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Coach Mike Ditka was apoplectic, and met Harbaugh on the field, screaming, cursing and gesturing wildly. After the game, Ditka did not back down, and told the press, "I'll just say this...if it happens again, there will be changes made and they will be definite and they will be permanent. I'm not going to put 47 players' futures in the hands of one player who thinks he knows more than I do." The sudden change in momentum was palpable. The Chicago offense stagnated, gaining only two first down the rest of the way, while the Minnesota offense capitalized. Quarterback Rich Gannon was a perfect 7-7 in leading two touchdown drives to complete the improbable comeback. This was the beginning of the end for Coach Ditka in Chicago. The Bears struggled to a 5-11 record, their worst in a decade. The Vikings won the NFC Central title with an 11-5 mark but exited the playoffs in the Wild Card round with a loss at home to the Washington Redskins.




Chicago and Minnesota had a memorable meeting in 2007 when the teams traded scores six times in nine possessions during a back-and-forth, fourth quarter scoring barrage.  The Vikings broke a 14-14 tie with a 73-yard touchdown run by rookie Adrian Peterson in the third quarter (who had also scored from 63 yards out in the second quarter.) and extended the lead to 24-14 following a Ryan Longwell field goal at the start of the fourth. Chicago answered with a field goal on the next possession to cut the lead to seven, but Petersen swept around left end from the Bears 35 and raced for his third touchdown of the game to extend the Minnesota lead to 31-17 at 4:20. Brian Griese had a deep pass intercepted, but the Bears defense bailed him out by forcing the Vikings to go three-and-out.  A three play 53-yard drive finished with a Griese-to Mushing Muhammed touchdown cutting the Viking lead to 31-24. The onside kick attempt failed, but the Vikings again went three-and-out, punting the Bears deep. On second-and-ten, Griese lofted a deep pass to Devin Hester, who caught the ball at the Chicago 35, juked a defender and raced into the end zone for the tying score to complete the 81-yard play at 1:49. Peterson returned the kickoff 53 yards for Minnesota, setting the Vikings up at the Chicago 38. After three plays netted just one yard, Longwell was good on a 55-yard field goal attempt, the longest of his career, for the 34-31 Vikings victory, their first in Chicago in seven years. Peterson finished the game with a Minnesota club record 224 yards rushing on only 20 carries.
Special teams played a pivotal role for the Vikings in the 2008 Soldier Field meeting, but this time it was to the Bears benefit. Chicago scored twice on punt plays, but surprisingly neither involved return ace Hester. With the game tied 7-7 in the first quarter, Chris Kluwe bobbled the snap and had his punt blocked. Kluwe illegally kicked the ball a second time while it was on the ground right to defender Garret Wolfe who returned it 17 yards for a touchdown (second picture above). Midway through the second quarter with the score tied at 17, Viking returner Charles Gorman had the ball bounce off his leg inside his own 10 yard line, which Chicago's Zackary Bowman recovered in the end zone for the touchdown. The back-and-forth scoring continued through the half and third quarters, which included a 51-yard touchdown catch by Marty Booker. After a one-yard rush by Matt Forte opened the lead to 17 points, Minnesota attempted a comeback attempt. Gus Frerotte lead the Vikings to a field goal and touchdown to close the gap to 48-41, but with a chance to tie the game his final pass was intercepted and the Bears ran the clock out. The 41 points were the most Chicago has ever surrendered in a victory.  


Last year, the 8-8 Bears swept the 3-13 Vikings, winning in October on Sunday Night Football at Soldier Field and again in Minnesota for the season finale in December.  The 2012 Bears are 7-3 and are reeling having lost two straight primetime games with QB Jay Cutler being injured.  Cutler should be back today, but the Vikings are revitalized this year behind QB Christian Ponder and at 6-4 are in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race.  In just two weeks these two teams will meet again in the Metrodome, possibly with the Division title on the line, although the 7-3 Green Bay Packers also figure to have in say in that as well.
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Week 11 Weekly Uniform Rankings


#14. Jets-Rams: NYJ in all white, STL in all blue. Unlike the JAX-HOU where I found mono a mono refreshing, I find this one repulsing. Maybe it's because I KNOW this one could have been so much better, had the Jets worn green pants and the Rams checked in with white pants. But no. Like the Cardinals, the Jets are keeping their dark pants on the shelves. And the Rams, well, we have yet to see them in the blue/white look for 2012. Sad.

#13. Saints-Raiders: NO in white/black, OAK in black/silver. We know what the Raiders would wear, what would the Saints go with? Gold pants, to make this an Alloy Bowl, full of silver and gold, or black pants, to create a bit of a Coal Bowl, with loads of black. The call to coal was heeded. As a result, a little to black for my taste.

#12. Chargers-Broncos: SD in white/navy, DEN in alternate all navy. The old normal is now the new alternate. Broncos, by making the dark blues a rarity, make this look even better. Just one problem, wearing this against the Chargers makes this matchup too blue. So, it's a bit of a wash.

#11. Jaguars-Texans: JAX in all white, HOU in all dark blue. Jaguars go back to an all white look and after a steady diet of black, a little relief. And the Texans rocking a mono dark blue. While I moaned long and hard about all of the mono unis last week, this one works. Perhaps it's the rare dar-dark look of the Texans, but I do find this an appealing matchup.

#10. Buccaneers-Panthers: TB in white/pewter, CAR in black/silver. After all of the justifiable buzz last week of the Panthers in all black + shocking blue socks, Carolina returns to normal with the black and silver pants and black socks. Bucs still add metallic joy with the pewter pants. It's still a fine get together.

#9. Cardinals-Falcons: ARZ in all white, ATL in red/white. Not one of the better ones. True, the Falcons in their superior reds, but again the Cardinals preference to keep the red pants tucked away in the closet is diappointing. Black is used nicely. Understated and not overwheleming.

#8. Colts-Patriots: IND in all white, NE in navy/silver. This one hearkened back to the peak of this matchup, the 2000's. Championships on the line, Manning vs. Brady, Belichick vs. Dungy/Caldwell, etc. And I guess because of that, I give this a little bit of better grade than maybe it deserves.

#7. Packers-Lions: GB in white/yellow, DET in honolulu blue/silver. Tried and true, whether at Tiger Stadium, the Silverdome or Ford Field, you know what you're getting here. Choice colors in yellow, green, silver and that honolulu shade of blue, with a pinch of black. Nothing flashy, nothing dull. Just a steady infusion of nice colors.

#6. Bengals-Chiefs: CIN in white/black, KC in red/white. This is one of the better ones. As bad as the Chiefs all white look is, that's how sweet their red & white is. Coupled with the Bengals in the orange lids, white shirts and black slacks, this one's above the ho-hum line.

#5. Bears-49ers: CHI in white/navy, SF in red/gold. More of the old guard showing off some good colors. And there's a plentiful amount of them. Navy, scarlet, gold, orange. They blend well, too. Certainly an upper tier matchup.

#4. Eagles-Redskins: PHI in white/green, WSH in burgundy/white. For just the second time, the Skins put away their yellow pants and revive their white pants. Normally I'd decry this switch, but coupled with the Eagles purty white and green scene, this is a plus. So, I happen to like this rather traditional matchup.

#3. Browns-Cowboys: CLE in brown/white, DAL in white/mint. A beauty. Somehow the Cowboys usual 30 shades of blue threads make the Browns' darks pop. Just a nice blend of unique colors.

#2. Ravens-Steelers: BAL in white/black, PIT in throwback black-yellow stripes/khaki. Steelers decide to give the wacky prisoner throwbacks a more national view for Sunday night and against their bitter rivals, the Ravens. As with the Redskins game several weeks ago, the - um - buzz about the bumblebees overwhelm whatever the Ravens wore, which actually, was the right combo. If nothing else, the Steelers jerseys bring about lots of attention to our passion, uniforms. And that, my GUD friends, can't be all bad!

#1. Dolphins-Bills: MIA in aqua/white, BUF in white/blue. Rarities spill over in this game, and it is very much for the best. With the Bills going white at home (WAH), the Dolphins have to break out the aqua tops. Aqua is such a unique color, yet the Fins lately seem to avoid it like the plague. With the Bills rocking the blue pants, the eye appeal is wonderful. For some reason, the Fins aqua jerseys came across on my HDTV like sea green. Yet, photos from the game indicate the Dolphins wore a normal aqua color. Whatever, a great uni matchup.


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The "Super Sundays" That Could Have Been...6-10

Did we get to see the best looking uniform combinations possible for the year's final games?

 You make the decision as we continue to travel through history.

 1971 (VI) - Dallas (NFC) vs. Miami (AFC)
ACTUAL: Given that Miami predominantly wore white at home, there is a distinct possibility that, when given the choice, they may have selected their mono-white duds. ALL HAIL THE SILLY DARK JERSEY RULE (with tongue planted firmly in cheek)!  Unlike the previous year when the rule messed up the uniform pairings, the rule worked like a charm here.

ALTERNATE: Whether Dallas had been the home team (and subject again to the SILLY DARK JERSEY RULE) or had Miami been allowed to go mono-white, this is what we would have been treated to. Is it possible to count this year as two victories for ACTUAL instead of just one???
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl VI combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


1972 (VII) - Miami (AFC) vs. Washington (NFC)
ACTUAL: Is it wrong to not be bothered by Miami's mono-whites here simply because they were the visiting team and had to wear them instead of choosing to?

ALTERNATE: Is it just me or is the idea of aqua and yellow together like this as offensive to the senses as actually having to look at it?
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl VII combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


1973 (VIII) - Minnesota (NFC) vs. Miami (AFC)
ACTUAL: I really would pick this one. Really. If not for one thing...those orange socks. Bad. Especially bad when worn in conjunction with the aqua jersey.

ALTERNATE: Still bad. Just not as bad. Either way, we get a team in mono-white so its a wash in that regard.
EDGE: ALTERNATE

Which Super Bowl VIII combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


1974 (IX) - Pittsburgh (AFC) vs. Minnesota (NFC)
ACTUAL: Was Pittsburgh the first team to truly wear predominantly white shoes in this game (Not counting L.C. Greenwood, of course)? 

ALTERNATE: This pairing lacks the split-up of color that the ACTUAL possesses.
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl IX combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


1975 (X) - Dallas (NFC) vs. Pittsburgh (AFC)
ACTUAL: This pairing set the tone for a rare inter-conference rivalry seen again three years later.

ALTERNATE: Never gonna happen. Never. Might have been nice to see in a Preseason game, maybe. But definitely not on this stage.
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl X combo do you prefer?
  
pollcode.com free polls 


With a 4-1 near sweep, ACTUAL comes very close to taking all five of these years and goes up by a count of ACTUAL - 6, ALTERNATE - 4.

Don't forget to vote for your selections and come back next week for 11-15.
Bill Schaefer

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Week 10 Weekly Uniform Rankings


One word for this week's pairings: Bor-ing.

We had a total of 12 teams in the monochrome look. Four in an all-dark look and an amazing eight teams wearing all whites. It made for a rather disappointing week of uniform pairings. Anyway, let's get on with the review.

#14. Colts-Jaguars: IND in all white, JAX in all black. If you are old like me, you might recall a big hit that the band Three Dog Night had in 1972 with "Black & White." Very similar scenario here. Indy in white helmets, white jerseys, white pants. At least they wore blue socks. For the Jags, it was black from head to toe. A yawner.

#13. Falcons-Saints: ATL in all white, NO in all black. The Falcons in the all white, which I do not find anywhere near as appealing as the sweet red jerseys, and the Saints, in a look I normally prefer, the all blacks, but not this week. The gold pants would have helped a lot in what turned out to be a rather dismal week, uni-wise.

#12. Chiefs-Steelers: KC in all white, PIT in black/yellow. Hoping against hope that the Chiefs would buck the all white trend for the week and stay with the brilliant white/red combo. But alas, the white conspiracy continued with the Chiefs - wearing my least favorite all white combo of all - against the Steeler standard of black/yellow. Ugh. Chiefs, if you're going to go all white, at least wear your handsome red socks! This is just too much vanilla for my taste. Steelers, what can I say?

#11. Bills-Patriots: BUF in all white, NE in navy/silver. Not sure if I would have preferred the Bills in blue pants or not. With all of the other all white combos, I do think the blue pants would have been, all right! Pats in the normal navy/silver combo. That saved the day.

#10. Titans-Dolphins: TEN in lightblue/dark blue, MIA in all white. Loads of shades of blue present here, with the columbia and navy blues of the Titans and the aqua tones of the Dolphins. A healthy present of white as well with the helmets and all of that Dolphin white. I'll take it, but not by much.

#9. Jets-Seahawks: NYJ in all white, SEA in all navy. Yeah, the honeymoon with the Seahawks new threads comes to an end. The all white and all dark, one of four games in a similar matchup, just takes its toll on me this week. Would have been great if the Jets had rocked their green pants and/or the Seahawks had trotted the new gray pants. Oh well.

#8. Rams-49ers: STL in all white, SF in red/gold. Yet another all white look, but saved by the Niners in their bright scarlet red and gold. Here's one game where the blue pants would have jumped the ranking a notch or more, but the blue and gold act as a good compliment to those brilliant reds. No matching ties with this encounter.

#7. Raiders-Ravens: OAK in white/silver, BAL in purple/white. A lot of color, even if much of it is muted (silver, black, purple, white and a touch of gold), it is - for this week - better than average. There are days when I like the Ravens in purple/black and there are days when I like the Ravens in purple/white. Today, I like the purple/white. It goes better this week and I think it works better with the Raiders standard white/silver fare.

#6. Texans-Bears: HOU in white/navy, CHI in navy/white. A lot of navy and a lot of white, and just not quite enough orange and red. Since these two teams on their own have greater than average looks, I do give it a (slightly) greater than average ranking.

#5. Chargers-Buccaneers:. SD in white/navy, TB in red/pewter. The Bucs get away from the early season WAH's and settle into the cozy red and pewter homes. Chargers add the compliment with the white jersey-navy pants combo. A pleasant sight to the eyes.

#4. Cowboys-Eagles: DAL in white/mint, PHI in green/white. Familiar teams, familiar unis. And compared with the rest of the NFL matchups this week, familiar is good. Very good. Contrasting jersey/pants combo makes for a soothing Sunday night.

#3. Lions-Vikings: DET in white/silver, MIN in purple/white. Normally a rather routine matchup. But in a week of white-white and dark-dark, this is an above the fray type of matchup. Good colors, good trim. honolulu blue, silver, purple, hints of black and yellow. Score one for the old guard.

#2. Broncos-Panthers: DEN in all white, CAR in all black. Oh Lord, another all white against all bla....wait a minute! What??? The Panthers rocking ALL BLACK? What?? They also are wearing the carolina blue socks??? Never before! Yay-yuh!! I grant this game a massive pardon and bestow blessings on this matchup. I think this one caught everyone off guard, because the Panthers rarely go outside of the box. But in a week of monotone, this one sticks out like a sore, nay two sore thumbs. And both thumbs point skyward in approval.

#1. Giants-Bengals: NYG in white/gray, CIN in black/white. This is a bounty of color. blue helmet, orange helmet, white jersey, black jersey, gray pants, white pants, red socks, black socks. A delicious palette of colors. Ace matchup.



OK fans, Hopefully my uniform grouchiness will fade with the Week 11 matchups! Guys, all I'm asking for is a little bit more color!

See you then!







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The "Super Sundays" That Could Have Been...1-5

When I was younger, many moons before I became involved in the creation of the GUD, I used to enjoy the build up before Super Sunday. (Now I know better!)

 Being young, and not knowing there was a pattern that existed in its determination, I used to wait with increased fervor to catch that first glimpse of a jersey. I wanted to find out if the picture I'd created in my mind's eye of what this year's big game was going to look like was right or wrong. 

 Was what I'd hoped for going to be correct or was I going to be disappointed in what I was going to watch?

 When Tim, Rob, and I were first organizing this site and we'd determined that we'd include a semi-periodic blog, I set out to brain-storm a few topics that I would enjoy reading/seeing.

 To be honest, after doing some uniform tweak concepts and the "If Now Was Then" concepts, this current series was one the first ideas I actually had...namely, "Did We Get the Best Looking Game" from a uniform point of view?

 Over the remainder of the season, I will be illustrating five games each week - what they looked like AND what they could have looked like.  I will include my stance and preference as well as give you, the viewer, the opportunity to cast your vote for each year's game for the ACTUAL combo or the ALTERNATE combo.

While the ACTUAL combos will accurately depict any patches worn during the game, the ALTERNATES I've put together will not be sporting those patches.

We'll show you each Super Bowl ACTUAL and ALTERNATE combos and then give you a chance to vote for which one you like better, and we can determine once and for all if they "got the right matchup."  Let's start at the beginning...

 1966 (I) - Kansas City (AFL) vs. Green Bay (NFL)
ACTUAL - This was the game we saw in 1966. As the established league, the NFL was awarded 'home team' status and wore their typical green over yellow combination. Kansas City would not break up their mono-white road apparel for another two seasons.
ALTERNATE - However, what if the NFL had allowed the AFL to be the home team? True, there would have been a lack of the green but having the white jersey for Green Bay and the white pants of the Chiefs balances the whites out a little better.
EDGE: ALTERNATE

Which Super Bowl I combo do you prefer?
 
 
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1967 (II) - GreenBay (NFL) vs. Oakland (AFL)
ACTUAL: A Silver and Black debut. Although they probably wish to forget their performance, I just can't picture the Raiders debuting in the title game without their black jersey combo.
ALTERNATE: By itself, this combination would not be bad. However, compared to the opposite combination that we did get for this game, it finishes in second place.
EDGE: ACTUAL

Which Super Bowl II combo do you prefer?
pollcode.com free polls 


1968 (III) - N.Y. Jets (AFL) vs. Baltimore (NFL)
ACTUAL: Not much to go on between the two choices here as both teams feature mono-white road combos. This combo takes a marginal lead due to the Jets' road jerseys having more green on the sleeves than the Colts' have blue on their road jerseys.
ALTERNATE: The Colts' road combo just doesn't have as much color to play off of the Jets' green. There's just too much white here.
EDGE: ACTUAL 

Which Super Bowl III combo do you prefer?
pollcode.com free polls 


1969 (IV) - Minnesota (NFL) vs. Kansas City (AFL)
ACTUAL: Like the alternate for the game two years earlier, by itself, this pairing is not bad.
ALTERNATE: However, compared to the alternate pairing here, the addition of the red pants would clearly have put this combo over the top.
EDGE: ALTERNATE

Which Super Bowl IV combo do you prefer?
pollcode.com free polls 


1970 (V) - Baltimore (AFC) vs. Dallas (NFC)
ACTUAL: The fact that the NFL had a rule that said a team's color jersey was there de facto home jersey seems a bit silly. The silly like Earl Bennett getting fined for "wearing 1-color cleats when the color in question is, in fact, a team color" kind of silly. In hindsight, I'm kinda glad we got to see this pairing. We'd never get to see this combo pairing today as the Colts wear blue at home and the Cowboys still prefer their whites.
ALTERNATE: Had the Colts been the home team, this would have been the pairing we'd have seen. Pretty good look, if I do say so myself. Especially considering that the Cowboys' blues and silvers actually matched - once upon a time!
EDGE: ALTERNATE

Which Super Bowl V combo do you prefer?
pollcode.com free polls 


So, after the first five games, I put the score at ALTERNATE - 3, ACTUAL - 2.
See you next week for games 6-10.
Bill Schaefer
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