LAS VEGAS – Teammates tried to tell Donte Jackson what was in store for the veteran cornerback when he stepped foot Sunday into Allegiant Stadium for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
T.J. Watt, in particular, told Jackson to expect a heavy dose of Steeler Nation.
Jackson just didn’t know how heavy that dose would be.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Jackson said after thousands of Steelers fans invaded this desert city to watch a 32-13 victory. “It felt like 80-20 (percent) Steelers fans. My teammates had been telling me all week that it was going to be like that.”
The crowd noise favored the visitors to the extent that a “Dee-fense” chant broke out in the fourth quarter with the Raiders backed up deep in their territory. Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell proceeded to throw an interception to Jackson, who returned the ball 24 yards to the 7.
Justin Fields scored a touchdown on the next play to give the Steelers a 29-7 lead.
“This is dope,” Jackson said. “T.J. said that if we keep the crowd in it, it would work to our benefit and it did. That fan base came to play.”
From the sideline while the defense was on the field, Fields marveled at the crowd reaction.
“I’m looking at the Raider offense and they are going to a silent cadence,” he said.
Watt wasn’t surprised.
“We knew that would be the case, but we appreciate it,” he said. “Steeler Nation is smart when knowing when to get loud. They were awesome today.”
Road trips typically bring out a large continent of Steelers fans. The crowd particularly swells when the Steelers head to a destination city such as Las Vegas.
Fans poured into Allegiant Stadium as soon as gates opened, and it quickly became obvious that the Steelers would have the crowd advantage. Coach Mike Tomlin opened his post-game press conference by acknowledging the fans.
“Taken aback by the support we got from our fans,” he said. “Steeler Nation, man, they continually show up. I just thought it was awesome – the environment for a road venue was special. It was special to be a part of.”
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, secondary ticket broker Vivid Seats projected that 56% of the fans Sunday would be cheering for the Steelers instead of the home team. Vivid Seats also estimated that based on zip codes from fans purchasing on its web site, fans traveled an average of 923 miles to attend the game.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce downplayed the disparity in crowd support that his team received – or, more accurately, didn’t receive.
“We’ve got noise at every practice. That didn’t bother us,” he said. “We appreciate all of Raider Nation showing up.”