In what has become routine across the world of sports, the Houston Texans called out their own fans for leaving their Sunday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts early and before an improbably comeback.
With 7:04 left in the game, the Texans trailed the Colts 23-9 and it appeared the game was all but over. However, after an incredibly ugly three and a half quarters of football, the Texans turned it around to eventually beat the Colts 26-23 in overtime.
Before the comeback even began in the fourth quarter, a mass exodus had already begunm with thousands of Texans fans leaving NRG Stadium early. As a result, this is what the crowd looked like with a couple minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Even #Texans fans thought this game was over! #Colts @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/gemgaaeUFr
— Anthony Calhoun 📺 (@ACwishtv) October 17, 2016
It’s safe to say most of the fans that had occupied those empty seats probably wish they didn’t leave. However, they did and the Texans noticed and called them out for it.
“For all the fans who left, I hope their brisket turned out ok, they had to go home and check it,” Texans nose tackle Vince Wilfork told reporters.
“Looking up in the stands and watching everyone leaving, I was like ‘man, don’t quit’, there’s six minutes or something left on the clock, let’s keep playing and see what happens,” Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said.
“A lot of fans tonight missed a terrific performance,” Osweiler said after the game. “I hope they learned tonight this team is never going to quit fighting.”
In the fourth quarter, Osweiler led his team on a 75-yard touchdown drive to pull within a score, and then eventually tied the game on a 26-yard touchdown to C.J. Fiedorowicz to tie the game with 49 seconds left.
“It sucks, but it is what it is,” Wilfork said. “At the end of the day we play for the guys that are in (the locker room) and the true fans, so to look up in the fourth quarter and still have a shot in the game and see half of the stadium empty it was surprising. I never encountered that before.”
Once the fans left, they never tried to get back in either. Well, at least not as many tried to get back in like Miami Heat fans a couple years ago.
