Dan Campbell is getting a blast from the past when his Detroit Lions travel to play the Miami Dolphins.
He got his first NFL head coaching experience in Miami as the Dolphins' interim head coach in 2015, but Memory Lane runs even deeper than that for him. This week, Campbell said first-year Miami head coach Jeff Hafley's team reminds him of his inaugural Detroit Lions squad in 2021.
"A lot of similarities to – just reminds me a little of what we were when we came in," the Lions head coach said. "Man, they're young. They're hungry, they're active, they run, they hit, they hustle, they finish, try to play disciplined ball. And they're playing that way."
Campbell's first Lions team finished 3-13-1 back in 2021 and ended up getting the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The roster had been absolutely gutted due to a hard rebuild, and the results showed on Sundays as those Lions got off to a 0-10-1 start.
But, cliche as it may be, that team had some real heart. They played through the whistle on every snap and were competitive in most of their games despite the bare-bones roster.
When the Lions finished that year winning three of their final six games, you could see that Campbell's introductory press conference musings about "grit" and biting kneecaps off were more than lip service.
"The core of that (2021) group, you talk about a bunch of dudes that were just going to battle," an emotional Campbell said in 2023. "We didn't quite have the horses we've got now, but those guys, you talk about laying it on the line and going toe-to-toe with anybody and willing the fight to the end, I'll never forget those guys."
How Dolphins could be following in the footsteps on Dan Campbell's Lions
That team, in a lot of ways, laid the foundation for what this Lions team has become in the years since. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, a rookie in 2021, agreed with his head coach about the Dolphins’ similarities to that first Campbell Lions team.
"A young team that's out to play hard every game. I think the record really doesn't show how they've played. I think they've been in a lot of close, you know, close games in the past, I don't know how many weeks," St. Brown said.
"I kind of feel like they were us, what we were, back in '21," he continued. "Just young guys, new team, new coach, trying to figure things out, but they played really hard and at the end of the day, they're in this league for a reason, and you can lose to any team any given week. So, we've got to be ready."
The 1-6 Dolphins got their first win of the season, a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets, two games ago. Last week, they nearly upset the defending AFC champion New England Patriots before falling 24-19.
Dolphins' future is bright, but the Lions have a significant advantage in Week 9
Miami stripped its roster for parts before the season, but still has some hard-nosed football players who a coach like Campbell can appreciate. Jordyn Brooks is one of the best linebackers in football, and rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has also been a tackle machine this year. Campbell also spoke highly of rookie nickel cornerback Chris Johnson and second-year running back Ollie Gordon II.
The Lions have the overwhelming talent advantage in this game, just as practically all of their opponents did in 2021. But St. Brown is right – this is the type of team that can sneak up on you if you aren't ready.
The Lions would be forgiven for not being as solely focused on football as other teams around the league right now, after their team captain and star linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a horrifying neck injury against the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Dan Campbell admitted it's been tough this week to both focus on the opponent at hand while Jack Campbell's well-being is at the top of everyone in the building's mind.
A difficult situation like this often tests leadership and forces those leaders to look back at the lessons they've learned. In the week he will face the franchise that gave him his first head coaching shot, Campbell was asked about his memories of that half-season stint in Miami from 2015.
"It was a hungry roster, and we had some good players, good coaches. Just trying to find your footing there a little bit. It's a tough situation for everybody," Campbell said. "But it was an unbelievable experience. Me personally, I grew a ton from it. Again, I'm fortunate that I was given the opportunity, because had I not, I probably wouldn't be sitting in his seat right now."
It has been an emotional week for this team, one that's forced everyone to zoom out and reexamine why they love playing this violent, sometimes scary sport. Having a rebuilding, high-effort team like Miami on the docket is a good opportunity for the Lions to reflect on how far they've come as a franchise.
The brotherhood that exists with this team, and has been so critical over the past few days, was first forged back during that bleak 2021 season.
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