There are a bevy of reasons the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans playing each other is emotional, but none more so than for the Kelly brothers when the two sides meet Sunday at noon CT at Nissan Stadium.
While it is the seventh time the Texans and Titans have met since Tennessee signed tackle Dennis Kelly as a free agent in 2016, it is the first time Tim Kelly will be the Texans’ offensive coordinator after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant on coach Bill O’Brien’s staff.
Tim acknowledged on Thursday that he will talk to his brother later in the week, but currently he is focused on beating his brother’s team, just as Dennis is focused on beating the Texans.
“During the week, we’re both pretty focused on taking care of business,” Kelly said. “I’ll make sure I go and say hello to him before the game.”
According to their mother, approximately 60 people are expected to be in attendance for the showdown between two 8-5 clubs grappling for first place in the AFC South.
“He’s obviously paying for those tickets,” Kelly joked.
Tim intends to meet up with Dennis before the game. Once it is kickoff, Tim will be locked in on getting a big road win in Tennessee.
Nonetheless, the situation is a momentous one for the Kelly family to have two members part of a big division race in the AFC.
“It’s a pretty cool situation to be able to watch your brother play in the NFL, let alone have to prepare against him and get ready to play him,” said Kelly. “So, very proud of everything he’s accomplished and it’s definitely a pretty cool moment to be able to see him on the other sideline, that’s for sure.”
Since Dennis arrived in the AFC South, the series has been evenly split 3-3. Originally, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Dennis with a fifth-round pick from Purdue in 2013. The combined ledger favors Dennis’ teams 4-3.