When you turn on Thursday Night Football this week, you’ll notice the New England Patriots are wearing a unique uniform against the New York Jets. As part of the new Nike and NFL partnership, a “Rivalry Week” initiative is being launched. So, the Patriots have a new jersey to debut.
According to the designers, the Nor’easter uniforms blend maritime history, football tradition, and natural elements, which are some of the things that define New England.
The Story Behind the Nor’Easter Uniforms
The base color is a storm blue, and if you look closely, you can spot some impressive design details. For example, there are six stars on the uniform representing the six New England states. Longtime Patriots fans might recognize the jersey numbers style, which resembles the 1990s Bledsoe-era uniforms.
The helmet and pants are white, symbolizing the snow common in the region, while the silver facemask represents ice and winter storms.
According to the Patriots’ official website, the “NE” logo on the shoulder is “inspired by nautical lettering and compass points, underscoring the unique nature of the Patriots as the only team to represent an entire region.”
Over the next four years, every NFL team will introduce a new alternate uniform as part of a collaboration between the NFL and Nike. This season, the AFC East and NFC West were the first divisions to unveil their new looks.
Reactions from Patriots fans have been mixed, with some loving the new look, while others prefer the normal home navy-blue style.
Quarterback Drake Maye, however, is a big fan of the Nor’easter uniforms. In a video uploaded to the official Patriots YouTube channel, Maye talked about his love for the new uniforms.
“First thought with the storm blue is it’s a different look. It’s pretty sweet. Seeing some of the jerseys in the crowd, it’s been awesome, and I’m looking forward to putting them on and putting them to real use.”
Although the Patriots are undefeated on the road, this season they are 3-2 at home and will be looking to improve that this week. Another strong performance from Maye could cement him as the lead candidate for NFL MVP. The Patriots are 75-56-1 all-time against the Jets, winning 16 of their last 18 meetings versus their divisional foe.
Regardless of what jersey the Patriots wear, they’ll look to extend their winning streak against a two-win Jets team. Kickoff for the prime-time matchup is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday Night Football.
