Colts fumble uniform matchup with Browns

The Cleveland Browns are among a handful of teams in the NFL that have a classic uniform style that always looks good.

From the orange helmet to the brown or white jersey and white or orange pants, the Browns may not always play well, but they always dress well.

Related: Browns vs. Colts: 3 Things to Watch on Sunday

Other teams that fall into this category are the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, every team in the AFC West Division except for the Denver Broncos, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Sorry, but they do have a nice uniform.)

Related: Browns vs. Colts: Week 7 Need to Know

The Indianapolis Colts are also one of those teams with a uniform set that looks like what a professional football team wears, which made Sunday’s game against the Browns one of those Sunday matchups where everyone looked good.

That is until the Colts decided on the very bad idea of debuting what they are calling their “Indiana Nights” alternate uniform set for the game at Lucas Oil Stadium with a black helmet.

According to the team’s website, the uniform is “inspired by the blue and black of the Indiana night sky,” whatever that means, and features:

• A black helmet with black trim, making it the first time in franchise history the Colts will wear a black helmet.
• Black trim around the numbers, sleeves and body. (Because you can never have enough black, apparently.)
• A blue jersey and matching blue pants that are “infused with depth and texture via a heather style, which is the first of its kind in the NFL.” (Hello Mr. Fancy Pants, indeed!)
• The team’s “Indiana” C logo, where the outline of the state is carved out of the “C” in the team’s word mark.
• Classic numbers to “preserve the timeless appeal” of the team’s jersey numbers. (Seems counterintuitive to mix timeless appeal with a “first of its kind” heather style set. But what are you going to do?)
• Horizontal stripes across the shoulder pads to provide a “visual impact” that will be “familiar to generations of Colts fans.” (OK).

The Colts are not the first team to do this, of course, and the Browns have certainly dabbled in bad uniforms in recent years with their always horrible all-brown color rush kit.

But it is still a bit disappointing that the Colts chose Sunday’s game to roll these out, given the visual appeal that matchup would have if the Colts had just worn their regular uniforms. And with the Browns wearing white jerseys and white pants, it would have been a nod to the 1964 NFL Championship meeting between the two clubs. (Hmm, maybe that is why the Colts chose Sunday’s game for their alternate uniforms?)

It seems like wearing them for one of their meaningless games against an AFC South divisional opponent would have been a better choice.

What do you think? Are we being too harsh about the Colts alternate uniforms?