In 2015, the NFL introduced the Color Rush jersey concept to make a) Thursday night games more appealing, and b) more money out of a new batch of apparel. Since then, the New England Patriots wore their one-colored, blue-on-blue outfit two times: The team used it once in 2016, introducing it during a Thursday nighter against the Houston Texans, and brought the look back on a Sunday night game against the Atlanta Falcons last season.
The Patriots, who also wore a regular all-white look at one occasion in 2017, could not have used their Color Rush uniforms a second time last year even if they wanted to.