In a most unsettling turn of events, Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams wore red contact lenses on Sunday, presumably because of some perceived visual benefit, but possibly because they really went well with the uniforms of the opposing Kansas City Chiefs.

Why would an NFL player want to see the NFL field through red lenses, besides the fairly obvious answer of feeling like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from Terminator 2?

Among the alleged benefits: better contrast to see the football better, increased focus and the ability to stare directly into the soul of Alex Smith.

There have been other recent NFL adoptees of the Lucifer look, such as Santonio Holmes and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Oddly, that means two of three most famous players to wear the lenses were defensive ends, a position in which seeing the ball isn’t necessarily a premium.

The medical research backing these claims is hazy though, so maybe the benefits come via a placebo effect or a future role in some Twilight ripoff. Then again, when you read testimonials while wearing red contact lenses, I guess you’re always seeing things through rose-colored glasses.