Tag: Black Helmets

Saints will be wearing their gold helmets, not black alternates, against the Rams

The Saints will be wearing their gold helmets, not black alternates, and Color Rush jerseys against the Rams on Thursday night:

There’s confirmation: the New Orleans Saints have put their alternate black helmets on the shelf and packed their signature gold lids for Thursday night’s prime-time game against the Los Angeles Rams. We already knew the Saints would be wearing their popular “Color Rush” jerseys in this matchup, based off previous announcements, and they’ve now clarified the choice in headgear.

It’s a good decision. The “Color Rush” uniforms and gold helmets made for the best look in the NFL after it was debuted, but the mismatched black helmets just didn’t work out. There’s certainly room for an alternate black helmet in the team’s wardrobe. They just need to spend a little more time in the lab pairing it with the right uniform variant.

The Saints achieved a 9-5 record in their “Color Rush” uniforms from 2016 to 2021, but they were winless in their black helmets across the 2022 season and this year’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons (going 0-3). Hopefully switching back to gold helmets with the alternate jerseys helps them find their mojo again.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints will be wearing their ‘Color Rush’ uniforms and mismatched helmets vs. Falcons

The Saints will be wearing their “Color Rush” uniforms and mismatched black helmets in Sunday’s game with the Falcons:

They’re back: the New Orleans Saints are wearing the alternate black helmets they debuted last season in Week 12’s road game with the Atlanta Falcons, pairing them with mismatched “Color Rush” jerseys, the team announced Friday.

It isn’t a good look. The white-and-gold uniforms clash with the predominately black helmets, which feature design elements that don’t carry over to the jerseys and pants — like a field of small fleur-de-lis running down the center of the helmet replacing the usual stripe.

But the Saints are determined to make them happen anyway. The NFL allowed teams to wear alternate helmets last season to accommodate unique uniform choices, but the Saints didn’t think it through far enough, simply pairing new helmets with an established alternate jersey. It’s a shame. The helmets would look much better paired with black throwback uniforms or a new all-black kit altogether. Instead, they’ve spoiled what was one of the cleanest looks in the NFL.

Here’s how the Saints’ winning percentage in this combination stacks up to the other uniforms in their wardrobe, if you’re curious (not including the controversial gold jerseys used in a loss back in 2003):

Saints make a stylistic misstep with their Week 4 uniform combo

The Saints made a stylistic misstep with their Week 4 uniform combo, pairing fan-favorite Color Rush jerseys with mismatched new black helmets:

Oh no. Sheesh. Let’s start with the good news: the New Orleans Saints are wearing their fan-favorite “Color Rush” alternate jerseys in Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings. And now the bad news: the Saints are also debuting their new black helmets in this game, making for an unappealing mismatch between the black lids and white-and-gold uniforms. While they’ll kick off from London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, this counts as a nominal Saints home game.

It’s not a good look. The helmets are fine, if a little too busy with the stripe of gold fleur-de-lis running down middle, but they don’t match the light-colored uniforms at all. What’s more frustrating is that the Saints saw how nicely the black helmets pair with their black home jerseys in practice all week, only to burn one of the few games they can use the “Color Rush” jerseys in a misfire with the black helmets. Maybe it’ll grow on us (a win sure would help). But this looks like a misstep.

Anyway. Here’s what you’re here for — the record the Saints have achieved while wearing each of their different uniform combinations, dating back to 2006:

  1. White jerseys, white pants: 9-3 (.727)
  2. “Black and Gold” throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  3. “Color Rush” alternates: 9-5 (.643)
  4. White jerseys, black pants: 42-26 (.618)
  5. Black jerseys, gold pants: 24-15 (.615)
  6. White jerseys, gold pants: 37-24 (.607)
  7. Black jerseys, black pants: 46-34 (.575)

[listicle id=116492]

WATCH: Saints test out new black helmets during practice

The Saints tried out their new black helmets during practice on Wednesday. They’re set to debut the new look against the Vikings in Week 4, via @DillySanders:

Quite a few teams are set to debut a new alternate helmet this season, and the New Orleans Saints are one of them. With the NFL changing its uniform policy allowing for teams to now allow two base helmet colors, New Orleans is opting to debut a new black helmet in 2022. The players got to test out the new helmets in Wednesday’s practice, though without the team logo on the side. It’s a normal approach to practice by equipment teams around the league.

We know that the Saints will debut their new helmets in Week 4’s London game against the Minnesota Vikings. It hasn’t been fully confirmed what the the entire uniform combination will be, though they are often seen with the “Color Rush” variant jerseys and pants with black socks. That combination would be a huge miss, in my opinion, as the all-black look is right there for the taking. You can see how appealing it is in this video from the Saints’ social media team in Wednesday’s defensive uniforms.

[pickup_prop id=”24156″]

[listicle id=115196]

No, Michigan State Football’s equipment staff didn’t accidentally reveal new black football helmets

A picture from the team’s equipment room showed a black concept helmet.

Sorry, but I’m going to have to burst some bubbles.

On Monday afternoon a picture of a black football helmet started making the rounds on MSU Twitter, getting fans excited about the Spartans potentially donning a black helmet in the 2020 season. It happened during an Instagram takeover session with Andrew Kolpacki, MSU football’s head equipment manager.

During one of the videos you can see a few guys in the helmet area of the equipment room and one of them is holding a black helmet. A picture was taken and the internet was off with excitement. (Full disclosure: I also tweeted the picture out.)

Another screen shot was taken of a different section of the same video which showed a silver helmet sitting on the counter in the room.

Many folks were excited that this meant new helmets for their beloved Spartans and for them I have some bad news. Someone within the program has reached out to Spartans Wire and revealed that those black and silver helmets are not new helmets, instead they are simply concept helmets being shown to the equipment staff by a rep from Schuette, the helmet manufacturer.

I know. I’m sorry.

That these helmets aren’t specifically new black and/or silver helmets for MSU doesn’t mean that the Spartans will never wear a black helmet. In fact new coach Mel Tucker has told fans that he is in favor of trying out new uniform colors and combinations. It’s just that these helmets aren’t the ones they’ll be wearing.

Maybe one day we’ll get a black helmet and maybe one day we’ll get a Gruff Sparty helmet.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]