Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions watched their 2023 NFL season come to a crushing end in a 34-31 loss Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium.
Campbell’s questionable calls late in the game had the football world going berserk, but Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill came to his defense — and to the defense of his head coach, Mike McDaniel.
Tyreek Hill Shows Support for Dan Campbell and Mike McDaniel
Hill took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) page less than 24 hours after the Lions’ season-ending defeat, ultimately giving praise to Campbell for turning the culture around in Detroit.
Everybody forgetting Coach Dan Campbell was 3-13 I think his first year in Detroit
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) January 29, 2024
Campbell’s rookie season in Detroit saw the Lions finish a head-scratching 3-13-1, good for second-worst in the NFL.
Two seasons later, not only did the Lions secure their first playoff victory since 1992 this postseason, but they were one win shy of representing the NFC in the 2024 Super Bowl.
Dolphins supporters may remember Campbell very well. In 2015, he replaced a fired Joe Philbin to become the team’s interim head coach. However, at that time, Campbell was young and inexperienced. A run to the AFC Championship Game was highly, highly unlikely.
Campbell was a coaching intern with the Dolphins in 2010 but never held a role as an interim or permanent head coach up until the 2015 season.
When the season came to an end, so did Campbell’s run in Miami. The Dolphins would go on to hire Adam Gase as the team’s next head coach, and Campbell took a position with the New Orleans Saints as an assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
MORE: Who’s To Blame for the Detroit Lions’ Historic Choke Job Against the San Francisco 49ers?
After showing his support for Campbell, Hill followed up by praising McDaniel. In his post, Hill complimented McDaniel on the job he has done in Miami in a short amount of time while acknowledging the high expectations that people have for the team.
Hill’s message is about staying patient because the result will speak for itself.
I say that to say what Coach McDaniel is doing in Miami is all ready special , it’s understandable expectations are high keep them that way
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) January 29, 2024
No, McDaniel’s Dolphins have not won a playoff game in his first two seasons leading the charge, and his group still seeks their first playoff win since Dec. 30, 2000. But Hill knows Miami has a roster that can compete with any team across the league.
Detroit hosted two home playoff games this season to get to the NFC Championship Game, so if McDaniel can learn something from watching Campbell’s bunch, winning your division and earning at best a No. 2 seed in the conference should be on McDaniel’s to-do list entering his third run this upcoming fall.
The full 2024 league schedule is set to be publicly released this upcoming spring, but the Dolphins and Lions will not play against each other.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!