I do not think the jackets themselves were any kind of distraction.
However, it is what those jackets represent. The whole "high school kids getting on a yellow bus" vibe is kinda' strange for a pro team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Some of the players were saying last week that this was one of the biggest games in franchise history (including AJ).
They were geeked about this game and came out flat.
Meanwhile, the Patriots, a team with championship history, just saw it as another game on the schedule. They gave props to the Texans as being a good team, but they weren't amped up for it. They are used to "big games".
The difference is that the Patriots acted like they had been there before, while the Texans were acting like a bunch of school kids on a road trip to the 5A championship game in Odessa. That is what those jackets represent, the attitude of a team that was acting like it had never been there before.
And this is why I think the Texans are still growing into the role of being a top-level team. Everything this franchise does has been gradual steps. They learn from mistakes and mature with each step. It's why I do not think this year will be a Super Bowl trip, but I do think they are going in the right direction and will use games like Monday night to grow into a truly elite team.
It's not a bad thing. This franchise is still young. Growing pains and all that stuff. It's just something we need to understand as fans.