In a season full of strong uniform slates, Week 6 may be the best one yet. It’s certainly the most action-packed week for alternates with seven teams wearing a non-primary uniform. Some electric football games on tap as well. Let’s get to it.

A quick note on methodology.

As always, I’m analyzing every NFL uniform matchup and picking a winner against the spread based on who dresses best. And just because a team is ranked higher in the Uniform Wardrobe Power Rankings doesn’t mean it will automatically win the uniform matchup. It’s what you wear in the instant matchup that counts.

Week 6 Uniform Matchups and Picks.

49ers at Browns is worthy of best of the week, but it’ll have to settle for the Week 6 shortlist due to stiff competition. There’s not a false note in this one. The 49ers can do no wrong in red over gold, and the Browns in all white are as sharp as can be. It won’t be the only time today where it feels wrong to have to choose, but we do what we must. Niners it is.

The Deshaun Watson deal continues to be the worst in NFL history - for reasons well beyond football - and he’s set to miss another game due to injury. In comes PJ Walker. And waiting for him is (for my money) the most fearsome defense in the league. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are certified monsters, and I go back and forth each week about who is more deserving of Defensive Player of the Year.* They’ll both get theirs, and the Browns should struggle to do anything offensively. It’s a lot of points to lay on the road, but San Francisco should roll.

*If forced to pick today, I’m giving the honor to Warner. Current belt holder for NFL LB1.

The Pick: 49ers -9.5

Other than the forthcoming best of the week, there is no game I’m more excited for this week than Seahawks-Bengals. Gray pants from the Seahawks would’ve made this a sneaky good uniform matchup. But I’ve got no major complaints. The Bengals will be rocking one of the best Triple Mismatch Club outfits in the NFL and run away with it from an aesthetic perspective.

From an on-the-field perspective, this one is much closer than the uniform battle. After getting dominated Week 1 against the Rams, the Seahawks have looked like one of the best teams in the league.* Geno Smith is a steady hand at the helm, there are explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball, and Pete Carroll is putting the final touches on his Hall of Fame application. With all of that said, the Bengals are back. Joe Cool, Ja’Marr, and the boys returned to form in the Arizona desert. And there’s plenty more where that came from. I think we’re in for a shootout.

*Outside of the NFC Big Three of Detroit, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, the Seahawks are the most dangerous team in the conference.

The Pick: Bengals -2.5

Colts at Jaguars won’t be competing for best of the week, but this is a sneaky good uniform matchup. The Colts can do no wrong in their icy white aways. And the black-teal-white look is the best in the Jags wardrobe.* The Colts are the pick but solid marks all around.

Four points and four words: Gardner Minshew revenge game. Nothing else needs to be said.

*The black-black-teal outfit is a close runner up. And can’t leave out the black-white-teal uniform. Moral of the story: if you’ve got teal, use it.

The Pick: Colts +4

Believe it or not, the Panthers in blue and the Dolphins in all white was a best of the week selection back in 2021 (during an admittedly terrible slate). Not so this week with arguably the best slate of the year. But this is a solid matchup nonetheless. I have it as a virtual tie. It’s always a delight when the Panthers blue jersey makes an appearance, and Carolina nailed the slight uniform tweaks with the improved color and shoulder stripes. As for the Dolphins, the icy white look is my favorite of their primaries and always lends itself to letting the other side shine in a uniform matchup. In order to break the tie, I’m going to defer to the Uniform Wardrobe Power Rankings, which gives the edge to the Panthers.

I have a bad feeling the Dolphins are going take the above tiebreaker out on me against the spread. The Rogues Gallery Dolphins have lived up to their super villain name - eviscerating opposing defenses with ruthless speed and efficiency. Up next are the lowly Panthers, whose marquee players are more focused on the trade deadline than this Carolina season. But I still believe in Bryce Young, and he’s going to need to show why he was the first player taken just to cover here. I think the Panthers shock the world keep it within two touchdowns.

The Pick: Panthers +14.5

NOTE - The Panthers have yet to reveal their choice of pants.

Vikings-Bears is an NFC Norris division classic. I’d love to see the Vikings lean more into their classic look, but it’s hard to find a more unique helmet logo. The Bears are classic personified, and they take the cake here.

It was nice to see some life from Justin Fields, DJ Moore, and the Bears offense. There’s still a long way to go before Fields proves he’s the long term answer in Chicago, but flashes like last week show what he’s capable of. The Vikings performed admirably against the Chiefs, but the season already feels lost - especially with Justin Jefferson set for an extended absence. On paper, the Vikings are the better team. But the Bears have some momentum and the more explosive upside. In any divisional rivalry, I’m content to get points with the home team.

The Pick: Bears +3

NOTE - The Vikings have yet to reveal their choice of pants.

Commanders at Falcons gives us the easiest call of the weekend. The Commanders still boast the worst wardrobe in football. And the Falcons still boast one of the best throwbacks in football. Atlanta in a landslide.

Coming into the season, the bullish among us (present company included) thought the Falcons could have one of the best offenses in the league behind the mad scientist, positionless run game constructed by Arthur Smith. While I’m still bullish on Smith and Exotic Smashmouth 2.0, last year’s third best rushing attack is currently ranked 13th. And the offense overall is a disappointing 24th in expected points. But here come the Commanders - just what the doctor ordered. The Commanders defense - like the Falcons offense - had people optimistic coming into the season. But the unit has also underperformed: 27th in expected points, 24th in rush yards allowed, and 23rd in pass yards allowed. If the Falcons want to show the football world that their offense still has supernova potential, now is the time. Washington is reeling and there for the taking. And I think Mustache Arthur seizes the opportunity in a near pick’em.

The Pick: Falcons -1

NOTE - The Commanders have yet to reveal their choice of pants.

Saints-Texans was certainly on the shortlist for worst of the week, and no argument from me if you have it at the bottom. The Saints continue to be allergic to gold pants, and the Texans continue to underwhelm. I’ll take boring Houston over practice pant New Orleans.

I continue to be impressed by DeMeco Ryans, CJ Stroud, and the Young Texans. And the Saints are very quietly 3-2 with a dominant defense. So this is a sneaky good game. Not sure how many people would’ve given Houston the quarterback edge in this one coming into the season, but it’s undeniable that Stroud in year one is already a step above Derek Carr. Give me the better quarterback at home with the points.

The Pick: Texans +1.5

In a week filled with solid uniform matchups, Patriots-Raiders finds itself somewhere between middling and forgettable. There’s nothing overtly wrong with the aesthetics, but it’s certainly not something to write home about. New England may want to mix up the mojo after last year’s Vegas debacle with silver pants, but I won’t hold my breath. Raiders are the clear selection.

I mentioned the debacle above, and the Jakobi Meyers failed lateral play will be the first thing I associate with Patriots at Raiders for the foreseeable future. Interestingly enough, Meyers now finds himself on the other side of this one as a free agent signing of Las Vegas this offseason. The Raiders can claw back to .500 with a win here, and the only thing standing in their way is a New England team that is at its lowest in the Bill Belichick era.* I will never count out Belichick, but time is running out to salvage this miserable season.

*I can’t see Robert Kraft ever firing Belichick. But I could certainly see both parties mutually agreeing to part ways. I think Belichick still has his sights on the Don Shula coaching wins record, and the Chargers would be a fascinating landing spot if that seat opens up.

The Pick: Raiders -3

NOTE - The Patriots have yet to reveal their choice of pants.

I’m all the way in on this Cardinals-Rams matchup. Arizona’s icy white road uniforms continue to impress. And the Rams blue jersey* looks best when paired with yellow pants. This will look sharp overall on the screen, but the Rams flaws still hold them back from greatness. Cardinals get the edge.

No team does more with less than the Cardinals. It has been genuinely enjoyable to watch how hard they play each week. But it feels like water may have found its level against the Bengals last week. Josh Dobbs, the Passtronaut himself, crashed back down to Earth and looked like a journeyman backup. Key players like James Conner and Jalen Thompson left with injuries. And the defense - despite their high effort - doesn’t seem to have the horses (especially in the secondary). The Rams new look Kupp-Nacua-Atwell receiving corps will be lickking their chops in preparation for this one. The logical prediction would be the Rams cruising, but anything can happen in a divisional game.

*Ditch the gradient numerals and this would be one of the sharpest uniforms in the league.

The Pick: Cardinals +7

Eagles-Jets leaves much to be desired and finds itself on the worst of the week shortlist. While it’s nice to see the Jets embracing green at home for a change, it’s still a bottom tier uniform. And the Eagles green-white-black look is one of my least favorite Triple Mismatch Club outfits. While New York may have made the better uniform choice, there is no universe where I’m going to pick the Jets and the worst helmet logo in football over the Eagles and those glorious helmet wings.

After looking a little lethargic to start the season, Jalen Hurts returned to form last week - going for over 300 yards through the air with another 72 on the ground. The Jets have been holding things together to the best of their ability post Rodgers injury. And Robert Saleh deserves a ton of credit for even being 2-3 at this point. But with the injuries continuing to mount and the entire secondary seemingly out of this one, brace for impact against this Eagles team. Hurts should keep things rolling and reinsert himself into the MVP conversation.

The Pick: Eagles -6.5

The heavily favored Bills are appropriately dressed for a bloodbath, and the Giants answered the Color Rush call with their excellent icy white throwbacks.* I give credit to both teams for this one. WIth virtually identical color palettes, New York and Buffalo are rolling out the most complementary and contrasting matchup possible given their current wardrobes.** The Giants get the nod, but this will look sharp overall on the Sunday Night Football screen.

Prepare yourselves for another primetime no contest. Coming off a letdown in London, Josh Allen and the buzzsaw Bills should get back on track and make quick work of the not so Giants. But all we care about is staying in range. With Daniel Jones out, Tyrod Taylor gets his shot at a revenge game. And no opposing coach knows Josh Allen and the Bills better than Brian Daboll. So the Giants should have a puncher’s chance at the cover here.

*In recent years, the Giants have worn their primary shell with this look. But they now are true throwbacks with the use of the navy shell.

**I still wish the Bills would ditch the red unitard and return white pants to this outfit.

The Pick: Giants +15

If it wasn’t for a generational return of one of the most beloved looks in sports, Cowboys-Chargers would’ve likely been the best of the week. It’s like this one was made just for me. The icy white Arctic Cowboys against the best dressed team in football. Feels wrong to pick a side but it’s always the Chargers.

In addition to being one of the best looking games of the week, Cowboys at Chargers should be a riot. Two teams with Super Bowl upside that can’t seem to get out of their own way. Dallas is coming off complete annihilation at the hands of the 49ers, and Los Angeles is coming off an extended bye thanks to the Monday night kickoff. The Cowboys should bounce back this week and will be playing a pseudo-home game in SoFi Stadium, but the Chargers have Justin Herbert. I’ve been a Dak defender for years, but it’s getting harder and harder to mount a case that he’s a Top 10 guy. There’s no such issue with Herbert. And I’m feeling good going with No. 10 and the points.

The Pick: Chargers +2

NOTE - The Chargers have yet to reveal their choice of pants.

Worst NFL Uniform Matchup of Week 6.

Ravens-Titans used to regularly give us sneaky good uniform matchups. But the Titans 2018 redesign has dropped them down to the NFL aesthetic basement. It’s hard to think of a more dreary* uniform matchup, with 5/6 of the key elements featuring black and navy. It’s always a sin when the Ravens omit purple, and their black-white-black look is arguably the worst in their wardrobe. This worst of week designation is primarily on Tennessee, but Baltimore could’ve saved it from the seat of shame with anything other than the stripeless black pants. Might as well sleep in.

There’s no love lost between the Ravens and Titans, and now they’re taking things international. These former AFC Central rivals have recently played spoiler to each other in the playoffs. And now they get to square off across the pond. Our focus is on the under, and I’m most interested to see how the Titans top-half offense fares against a Ravens defense ranked first in expected points. If Baltimore can shut down the “one last job” Titans, it should be smooth sailing.

*Appropriate for Foggy London Town at least.

The Pick: Under 42.5

Best NFL Uniform Matchup of Week 6.

It’s been 4,011 days since Bucco Bruce graced a football field. And as ridiculous as it is that we’ve had to wait this long, it’s sure worth the wait. We did it, folks. The Creamsicles are BACK. To be honest, it didn’t matter who the Bucs would be playing or what they would be wearing. There was nothing keeping this one from best of the week. But fortunately for us, the Lions did their part.* Silver-white-silver opposite that outstanding orange evokes memories of classic NFC Central matchups. Most importantly, Detroit understood the assignment. Run iso, pass Bucco Bruce the ball, and let him do his thing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this one. I know I sure will.

Not only is this the uniform matchup of the week (and possibly the year), it’s the football game I’m most looking forward. The Lions have cemented their status as one of the top dogs in the league.** And the Bucs have been one of the feel good stories of the season. Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield - former first overall picks tossed on the scrap heap by their original teams - are both balling and leading top-half units in expected points. The Lions have been no strangers to high totals this season (averaging 51 points per game), and I think the Uniform Gods will keep that party going. Fire the cannons!

*Sure, I would’ve preferred blue pants. But I’m not about to complain when we were facing the possibility of another white practice pant appearance.

**Detroit is on a 12-3 run going back to last year.

The Pick: Over 42.5

The Gridiron Uniform Database.

The uniform graphics you see here are courtesy of The Gridiron Uniform Database. If you’ve never paid their site a visit, stop what you’re doing right now and check it out. Best site on the Internet and an invaluable resource to uniform nerds and casuals alike.

Coming Attractions.

Another uniform week in the books. You know the drill. Back for more on Thursday.

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