With the future of the NFL still scheduled to begin on time, though uncertainty looms everpresent, it’s important to try and find the silver linings when we can. For instance, maybe you are picking up new hobbies during this quarantine period, or maybe you’ve been able to spend some valuable time with your family.
For San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, he’s found a silver lining in the possibility of playing games without fans in the stands once the NFL season kicks off — there’s no need for a silent count to combat crowd noise when playing in places like Seattle or New Orleans. The lack of crowds will have an instant impact on offenses as they look to navigate late-game drives in high-intensity situations.
For the Washington Redskins, a lack of crowds will even the playing field a bit as well, making it so that the home team is no longer significantly outnumbered by road fans in FedEx Field.
That may sound like a joke, but it is a growing trend that has become a problem in Washington over the last several years. More and more, Redskins fans started to become few and far between during home games, as fanatics from Philadelphia or Dallas ravished the secondary ticket-market and packed the stands of an otherwise empty stadium. Obviously, this has a significant impact on the home team, who no longer has the comfort of playing in a controlled and quiet environment when tensions rise.
Of course, what if tensions never rise to a level where fan support becomes an issue? Well, then you have a completely different problem on your hands; one that the Redskins will hopefully be able to address in the coming months and years going forward.
