“If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good.” This quote by Deion “Primetime” Sanders may hold a lot of truth to it, both for players and fans alike.
Regarding weekly uniform selection, nothing gets Miami Dolphins fans more fired up than when they see their favorite football team take the field in their beautiful aqua throwback jerseys.
Inspired by designs of Dolphins aqua uniforms from the 60s-80s, the current iteration of the aqua throwback alternate jersey was first introduced in 2015 for the Monday Night Football home game against the New York Giants.
The Dolphins went on to lose this game by a score of 31-24, but the overwhelmingly positive response from fans and players helped to ensure that these uniforms wouldn’t be a one-and-done. And let’s be honest: businesses are about making money, and the Dolphins brass knew how profitable throwback merchandise was in 2015 and would be moving forward.
Since their debut against the Giants on December 14, 2015, the Dolphins have donned the Aqua throwback alternate jerseys 12 times. What is their record in those games? 9-3, which is good for a .750 winning percentage. The Dolphins have worn the jersey at least once a year since their debut and even wore them three times in 2018! It should be noted that NFL rules allow an alternate jersey to be worn a maximum of three times per season.
Dolphins record and history in aqua throwback alternate jerseys
- December 14, 2015 (MNF) vs Giants (31-24 Loss)
- October 23, 2016 vs Bills (28-25 Win)
- November 27, 2016 vs 49ers (31-24 Win)
- December 11, 2017 (MNF) vs Patriots (27-20 Win)
- December 31, 2017 vs Bills (22-16 Loss)
- December 2, 2018 vs Bills (21-17 Win)
- December 9, 2018 vs Patriots (34-33 Win)
- December 23, 2018 vs Jaguars (17-7 Loss)
- December 1, 2019, vs Eagles (37-31 Win)
- December 13, 2020 vs Chiefs (33-27 Loss)
- December 20, 2020 vs Patriots (22-12 Win)
- January 9, 2022, vs Patriots (33-24 Win)
- October 23, 2022 (SNF) vs Steelers (16-10 Win)
After glancing through the game results, I immediately noticed that the jerseys were primarily worn in December and that the Patriots were a familiar opponent for the “throwback juice.” But after further thought, I realized that some of Miami’s most magical performances over the past decade have come while wearing these throwback aqua tops.
The Dolphins were hefty underdogs on Monday Night Football in 2017 against a Patriots team that wound up losing a thrilling Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles less than two months later. This game was also a coming-out party for star cornerback Xavien Howard, as he intercepted Tom Brady twice in the 27-20 win.
Roughly one year after this Monday night game, the “Miami Miracle” occurred at Hard Rock Stadium. The uniform the Dolphins wore on that infamous December day? Aqua throwbacks! Oh, and Gronkowski still didn’t have the angle. The Dolphins were again hefty underdogs against a formidable Eagles team in 2019, and the throwback magic prevailed once more in a six-point win. I was ecstatic to be in the stands on that warm December day.
Dolphins fans have been clamoring to see the aqua throwback jerseys all season. Good news, Fins fans, Santa is delivering an early Christmas present.
Christmas Eve. Dallas Cowboys. It’s a (almost) nationally televised game on Fox. Aqua throwbacks. The juices are flowing for Miami Dolphins fans and players alike this week. The Dolphins will look good when they take the field at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday evening. After last week’s dominant win over the division rival, the Jets, they are certainly feeling good. Will they “play good” in the throwback aqua uniforms once again? History is on their side.
