There were times Monday night when the Houston Texans looked bothered by the crowd noise. At other times, they looked like they were playing in a bubble of silence.
The Texans ultimately lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of a rowdy Heinz Field crowd on “Monday Night Football,” but the game offered the latest example of how difficult it can be to play in a hostile environment.
Really, it’s a matter of choice as to whether a team is affected by situations like that. As long as players and teams are focused and mentally tough throughout the game, they’ll be in good positions to win — no matter how loud it may get.
A trio of former NFL players documented their experiences with playing in tough spots on the road on the blog FootballByFootball.com.
“If you allow the ‘hostile environment’ tagline to creep into your psyche, you are wasting time and energy on something other than football,” former offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer wrote. “That can affect performance.”
