BUFFALO BILLS	MIAMI DOLPHINS	NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NEW YORK JETS

Historical Helmets

BUFFALO BILLS

1960 - 1961	1962 - 1964	1965 - 1973; additional games 2005 -
		*see note 1 below

1974 - 1976	1977 - c.1981	c.1982 - 1983

1984 - 1986	1994 special	1987 - 2001

2002 - 2010	2011 - 2020	November 2, 2017; November 28, 2019; December 7, 2020; 2021 -

*1 In addition to the 1965-1973 period, this design was used on September 11, 2005 (vs Houston), September 18, 2005 (at Tampa Bay), September 24, 2006 (vs New York Jets), December 3, 2006 (vs San Diego), August 24, 2007 (preseason game vs Tennessee), October 8, 2007 (vs Dallas), December 9, 2007 (vs Miami), September 21, 2008 (vs Oakland), November 30, 2008 (vs San Francisco), August 9, 2009 (preseason Hall of Fame game against Tennessee in Canton, OH); September 14, 2009 (at New England); November 15, 2009 (at Tennessee), November 29, 2009 (vs Miami), October 3, 2010 (vs New York Jets), December 9, 2012 (vs St. Louis), September 15, 2013 (vs Carolina), September 14, 2014 (vs Miami), September 13, 2015 (vs Indianapolis), October 30, 2016 (vs New England), October 29, 2017 (vs Oakland), and December 31, 2017 (at Miami)

MIAMI DOLPHINS

1970 preseason	1966; 1969 - 1973; 2015 -	1966 - 1968
*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below

1973 - 1979; November 27, 2003	1980 - 1996	1997 - 2012
*see note 3 below

2013 - 2017	2018 -
	*see note 4 below

A number of relatively minor changes were made to the Dolphins' helmet logo during the late 1960s and early 1970s; I have attempted to represent only the more substantial of these changes here. Note the two main versions of the logo that were used during this period: one with the dolphin's head inside the circle, and the other with it outside. There were at least some games when both of these logos were in use at the same time by different players. The size of the logo and its colors were also inconsistent during this period, the "aqua" color varying from a bluish hue to a greenish one. The logo was modernized for the 1997 season.

Here is some additional information about the two logo variations used during the Dolphins' early years, provided by site visitor Bob G.: "The team went back and forth between the "in the sun" and "out of the sun" logos between 1966 and 1969; sometimes I believe, within a season. Starting in 1970 they seemed to have settled with the "in the sun" logo, until from the final regular season game of 1973 (vs. Detroit) thru the playoffs, about half of the team (mostly lineman) started wearing the "out of the sun" version. Pictures which show both logos on the field at the same time come from this period. Please also note that this "out of the sun" logo is much smaller than the one worn in the '60s. In 1974, the Dolphins went back exclusively to the "out of the sun" logo. (One exception was running back Norm Bulaich, who played with the team around '75-'76, wore the "in the sun" logo, which drove me crazy). Sometime around 1990, perhaps due to a change in manufacturer, the dolphin in the logo (but not the sun) became slightly larger. The "in the sun" logo was brought back for "throwback" games in 1994 against the Jets and Vikings."

And here are additional comments on this matter from site visitor "Gazzoo": "The "in the sun" logo was worn in the Dolphins initial season of 1966, but only for the first three games. They then switched to the "out of sun" version for the remainder of 1966 and all of 1967 and 1968.

"Starting in 1969, the Dolphins again went to the "in the sun" version, except for the 1970 preseason, when they went logo-less. This continued until the final regular season game of 1973 against Detroit, when about half the team (mostly linemen) started wearing the "out of sun" logo. This continued for the 1973 playoffs, including Super Bowl VIII. Any pictures you come across with both logos on the field at the same time come from this four game stretch (Lions, Bengals, Raiders, Vikings). Also note that this "out of sun" logo was much smaller than the one worn in the 1960s.

"In 1974, the Dolphins went exclusively to this smaller "out of sun" logo. Sometime around 1990, perhaps due to a change in decal manufacturer, the dolphin in the logo (but not the sun) became slightly larger. The "in the sun" logo was brought back for the 1994 throwback games; but the 2003 Thanksgiving Day throwback, supposedly based on the 1973 uniforms, actually used the early 1990's version of the logo.

"One last note, the helmet striping on the 1966-67 helmet was much thinner and spread apart than what was used from 1968 onward. This info came mostly from meticulous viewing of the official Dolphins highlight films of '66 to '74."

*1 I have received photographs showing the Dolphins using helmets without any decals on the sides during at least the preseason games in 1970 against the Bengals and Colts.

*2 In addition to the 1966-1973 period this design was used during the following more recent games: December 14, 2015 (vs New York Giants), October 23, 2016 (vs Buffalo), November 27, 2016 (vs San Francisco), December 11, 2017 (vs New England), and December 31, 2017 (vs Buffalo).

*3 This design was brought back for use during the game at Dallas in 2003.

*4 The change from 2017 to 2018 was quite subtle: the orange color used on the helmet was darkened substantially, and the narrow dark stripe (blue?) between the aqua and orange middle stripes was dropped..

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

1960 preseason	1960	1961 - 1963

1964 - 1981; 1994 special	1982 - 1989; November 28, 2002; additional games 2009 - 2012	1990 - 1992
	*see note 1 below

1993	1994 -

This team was known as the Boston Patriots from 1960 (the team's first season) to 1970.

*1 The Patriots' 1982-1989 helmet design was brought back for use during games on November 28, 2002 (at Detroit), September 14, 2009 (vs Buffalo), October 18, 2009 (vs Tennessee), December 6, 2009 (at Miami), October 31, 2010 (vs Minnesota), November 25, 2010 (at Detroit), October 9, 2011 (vs New York Jets), and October 21, 2012 (vs New York Jets).

NEW YORK JETS including New York Titans (1960 - 1962)

1960 - 1962; some games 2007-2009, 2011	1963 (at least one preseason game)	1963
*see note 1 below

1964	1965 - 1971	1972 - 1977
		*see note 2 below

1978 - August 30, 1990	September 9, 1990 - 1997	November 21, 1993
*see note 3 below	*see note 3 below	*see note 4 below

September 18, 1994; September 25, 1994; October 16, 1994	September 15, 2016; September 10, 2018	1998 - 2018

2019 - 2023	2022 - 2023	2024 -
	*see note 5 below

2024 -

*1 The New York Jets were originally named the New York Titans; this is the helmet design used by the Titans from 1960 (the franchise's first season) through 1962. This design was resurrected for a home game against Philadelphia on October 14, 2007, and was subsequently used December 2, 2007 (at Miami), September 28, 2008 (vs Arizona), October 12, 2008 (vs Cincinnati), September 27, 2009 (vs Tennessee), October 25, 2009 (at Oakland), November 1, 2009 (vs Miami), and September 18, 2011 (vs Jacksonville).

*2 The placement of the logo on the helmet was changed for the 1972 season from a much more inclined position to a more horizontal orientation; the logo was no different, however, from the one used from 1965 to 1971.

*3 The Jets used white facemasks during their four preseason games in August 1990. Black facemasks were first worn during game #1 of the 1990 regular season (at Cincinnati).

*4 This design was worn during one game (vs Cincinnati in week 12) to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Jets' victory in Super Bowl III.

*5 This design was used October 30, 2022 (vs New England), November 27, 2022 (vs Chicago), December 22, 2022 (vs Jacksonville), and November 24, 2023 (vs Miami).