The Houston Texans had an opportunity to create a momentum boost to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.
With 2:00 to go until halftime, the Texans sacked quarterback Lamar Jackson twice on a drive that ended in a Ravens three-and-out. Instead of the stadium igniting and a surge of positive Texans vibes permeating the stadium, there was nothing.
According to Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, the absence of that energy can have an effect on the defense.
“When those things happen, typically that ignites the stadium and the defense feeds off that energy,” Weaver said. “Now we’ve got to make sure we bring all that energy and juice within ourselves. We’ve got to create it. So, it’s not necessarily the plays that are created, we need to feel that from the sideline. The guys that are on the bench are just as important as the guys on the field because that stadium is empty.”
The Texans will be playing in another empty stadium in Week 3 as the Pittsburgh Steelers still aren’t allowing fans to attend games at Heinz Field. While the atmosphere at times is so quiet you can hear a mouthpiece drop, Weaver doesn’t believe it gives the defense a leg up on knowing what the offense is going to do.
“I don’t necessarily know that we gain a huge advantage because of the some of the things that you can hear from an offensive standpoint, but I know we certainly miss out on our fans and the energy we get from them,” said Weaver.
If the Texans get on a roll with tackles for loss and sacks against the Steelers defense, they are going to have to generate their own energy. It does help that they are on the road where such energy wouldn’t be in their favor to begin with. However, Houston has to cultivate opportunities to frustrate Pittsburgh’s offense.