HOUSTON — The energy was electric at NRG Stadium Saturday night, after the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers during their wild-card matchup in the NFL playoffs.
Texans fans were hooting and hollering at NRG Park following the big victory. They chanted, “Let’s go, Houston!” in booming voices. While many pre-game predictions had the Chargers coming out on top, Houstonians said they never once counted out their hometown team.
“Thank you, Texans. We are finally here. We finally made it, and you know what, this is a blessing to the whole Houston, because Houston has a lot of potential,” Texans fan Sonia Rodriguez said.
Those who witnessed the game inside NRG Stadium described it as thrilling. The Chargers were initially ahead of the Texans, 6-0, after the first quarter. But the Texans came roaring back, scoring more points than the Chargers in each of the last three quarters.
“I’m so excited. I was at the game. The stadium was lightning, bro. It was magnified,” Texans fan Henry Baladez said.
Another fan, already looking ahead to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, added, “I hope they win the Super Bowl. They’re the best team.”
Even before the big win, there was no shortage of spirit among tailgaters at NRG Park. Several groups of families and friends gathered together to grill, drink and party ahead of the football game.
For some, just being at Saturday’s matchup was a dream come true.
“This is my first ever playoff game. Back then we couldn’t afford it, but now we’re in a better spot. It feels amazing. It feels surreal. It’s going to be a great experience,” Texans fan Albert Celestino said.
Fans were decked out in Texans gear from head to toe. That included Derek Uzzle, who prefers to go by “Battle Red.” He said his loyalty to the Texans began on day one.
“We’ve been doing this since 2002, and we’re as dedicated as it gets to the Houston Texans,” Uzzle said. “Everybody’s excited. The playoffs bring a whole different kind of excitement to the end of the season.”
9-year-old Texans fan Lorenzo Pena’s father surprised him with tickets to Saturday’s game. KHOU 11 News reporter Orko Manna asked Pena how big of a Texans fan he is.
“Bigger than the whole entire world,” Pena replied.
One major section of the tailgate was occupied by the Colt .45s Tailgaters. Omar Garcia, who runs the club, said their setup has become somewhat of a tradition at Texans games.
“We’ve been here for 10 years. We’re the only ones with a bar trailer. We’re the only one with eight TVs. We’re the only ones with a live band,” Garcia said.
This is the second straight season that the Houston Texans won a wild-card game at NRG Stadium.
