This panorama of Reliant Stadium captures a pivotal moment for the Houston Texans during their 19-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. When the Houston Oilers departed the city after the 1996 season, many fans thought the NFL would never return. But in 1999, the NFL awarded Houston the 32nd franchise. The Texans began play on September 8, 2002, at Reliant Stadium, the first retractable roof stadium in the NFL. It was a magical night for the Texans as.