(SportsRadio 610) - It’s been four seasons since the Houston Texans last packed the stands at NRG Stadium for a football game.
The energy, excitement and passion for the football team was stripped away by a global pandemic, a fraudulent snake oil salesman and once beloved quarterback that is now the wealthiest punchline in the league.
Fans have been through the wringer in recent years with their football team. Many have abandoned the team since, doing to the Texans, what they’d felt was done to them.
Those that have yet to come back, are in their right mind to do so, for whatever the multitude of reasons may be.
While the excitement and expectations of a new head coach, coaching staff, quarterback and more than half of a new roster to boot, wasn’t near enough to fill the stadium in either the regular season home opener, nor enough to drown out traveling Saints or Steeler fans, the Texans are hoping that winning and their relentless style will be soon.
“We’re excited about what our guys have done here to create the energy and the buzz around the city,” Ryans said. “I think our fans here in Houston deserve it, so our guys have done a good job. Our fans have done a great job of supporting us, we feel that support, we feel the energy when we’re in our stadium. We love our fans, love the support that they bring us, and we’re just excited to continue to go out another week and just go play good football.”
They’re playing good football alright.
Entering week 11 at an even 5-4 record and currently occupying the final wild-card spot within the AFC, the Texans are set to begin a three-game home stand Sunday when they host the Arizona Cardinals.
The Texans have checked nearly every box they possibly could without having changed ownership and a general manager to create a buzz and rejuvenate a fan base that’s been run ragged over the last four years.
The unwillingness to forgive and forget is understandable.
However, who says fans have to do either?
Management, coaches and players seem to change with the fluidity of the weather in the sports world. However, as a fan, I’d imagine most of us don’t sit back and lament or grumble over the previous weeks worth of rainy and miserable weather on the first sunny day we get.
Right?
No, we’re going to enjoy it as much as possible and do everything we couldn’t do when the organization disallowed us - I mean, when the weather wouldn’t permit us do so.
Making his weekly appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, former Texan and recent Ring of Honor inductee JJ Watt said he thinks the power at NRG is about to be restored in a big way.
“I think that we’re about to start to see the energy in Houston reach the old school levels, like the exciting level,” Watt said. “It’s going to be an exciting time down there man.”
It already is.
The Texans have a brand new face of the franchise. CJ Stroud, a 22-year old kid, that’s wise beyond his years, has endeared himself to his teammates and is eager to get the full effect from the home town fans.
“I think, for DeMeco especially, he played for the Texans, he’s been in Houston for a long time and that was one of his main goals, just to make people want to be around again and I think we’re doing that, Stroud said. “It’s an honor to kind of have people tune back in.
“Every week I feel like we get more and more people in the crowd,” Stroud said. “Honestly, when we played the Colts, that was my first time, in a long, long time not playing in front of a full stadium.
Stroud made those comments after he orchestrated a come from behind 39-37 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After going on the road and doing it again this past weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals, the kid has the Texans playing with the passion and resilience that the city demands of itself and deserves in its football team.
Enjoy it, Houston.