‘Lean on that leadership.’ Already down a QB and headed to Seattle, the Dolphins must rely on vets

Calais Campbell is the best leader in the NFL.

At least that’s how Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver puts it.

“If there’s any example to the younger players of what it takes to be the consummate pro and have a long-lasting career in this league, just look at Calais and do that,” Weaver said Sept. 5., clearly impressed at Campbell’s ability to “stay humble and hungry” despite his accomplishments. “I’ve been around a lot of good ones, and I don’t know if I’ve been around a leader better than him.”

So after a game in which the Dolphins got blown out by a division rival and lost Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to injury, who better to turn to than Campbell?

“Good teams don’t lose two in a row,” the 17-year veteran said Thursday afternoon. “Losses are going to happen in this business. That’s football. It was just one of those days when they made the plays, we didn’t. Ball bounced their way and they took advantage of it. But at the same time, the good thing is it’s just one game. All that it means is we’re not going undefeated.”

The leadership of players such as Campbell will be important Sunday as the Dolphins look to bounce back against the Seattle Seahawks. It certainly won’t be an easy feat — the Seahawks rank sixth in both total defense and passing offense, second in passing defense and ninth in scoring offense — yet the Dolphins do have the necessary experience to prevent a losing streak.

“It’s huge,” Weaver said Thursday about the importance of veterans following tough losses. “The one thing you know with the leaders that we have in this locker room is you won’t let one loss turn into two just off sheer emotional insecurity.”

Added Weaver: “Just because you lose a game, you shouldn’t lose confidence.”

The Dolphins had the oldest team in the league after the 53-man roster cutdowns, according to the Philly Voice. Six players — Campbell, Raheem Mostert, Kendall Lamm, Terron Armstead, Jordan Poyer and Odell Beckham Jr. — have at least tripled the NFL average career of 3.3 years. Nearly two dozen have played at least seven years. The result: there are coaches within nearly position group.

“As coaches you’re always trying to talk and preach and help,” Weaver said Sept. 5, later adding “But when they hear it from real dudes who are their peers, it carries more weight.”

It’s no secret that the Dolphins are a player-run team. Coach Mike McDaniel has emphasized that since Day 1, according to defensive lineman Zach Sieler, who explained that such a philosophy allows players to somewhat self-regulate.

“When you have the veteran leadership there, some guys have been through situations like this, and some have been through worse,” Sieler said Monday. “And you lean on that leadership and that experience to either guide young guys or steer the team in the right direction where you can make the corrections and not take it on the chin and not be soft if someone’s trying to make you corrections or call you out for something you didn’t do good enough.”

And when words fall short, there’s teammates such as Jordyn Brooks who firmly believe in the power of showing versus telling.

“I think it’s more so important that guys be the example rather than always having to huddle everybody up and [say], ‘Hey, this is what we need to do,’” Brooks said. “Just show them, and that’s by moving on, attacking each day like a professional, going to practice and doing everything with intent and making sure that we improve this week.”

Put differently, McDaniel’s player-first emphasis can create a culture of accountability. And with Tagovailoa on injured reserve until Week 8, the entire team needs to step up.

“It’s a collective unit out there at the end of the day,” receiver Tyreek Hill said Thursday. “I can’t sit up here and point no finger at nobody. We all got to be better. We got a great group of leaders on this team on both sides of the ball.”

A big part of that will come down to not only how the team itself prepares but, to paraphrase Hill, whether or not everyone finds a way to improve. That’s why Campbell’s message to the team has been so clear.

“Learn from it,” Campbell said, “and don’t let it beat you twice.”