Watch Calais Campbell outshine Mike McDaniel in postgame locker room clip

In the NFL, 17 years is long enough to build a resume as a leader. The Miami Dolphins can use one of those right now and Calais Campbell is stepping up to the plate. He has been a pleasant surprise for this team and defense.

In Week 5, the Dolphins got their first win since Week 1. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't something to be proud of. After the game, Mike McDaniel stood in front of his team and congratulated them on the hard work they put in. Admittedly, I rolled my eyes. The Dolphins beat the hapless Patriots 15-10, almost lost on a final drive touchdown that was ruled out of bounds, and played like garbage offensively for most of the game.

"That win was about us, fellas! That win was a month-long coming," McDaniel said to open the clip. There was a spattering of applause, but clearly not the raucous jubilation you would expect. Why? Because the Dolphins escaped a loss.

Campbell didn't raise the bar of his teammates' celebration - they know what the game was, but increasingly Campbell is becoming the face of leadership on this team and when he got the guys together to break it down for the week, he told them how it is, "Gotta stack wins."

Campbell isn't giving up the season, and no one is, or at least they shouldn't be. However, McDaniel isn't inspiring anyone right now, and that is a problem. The discipline issues are still there, and the team's lack of motivation and drive is evident in every series. The defense is holding it together the best it can because of guys like Campbell and Jalen Ramsey, who have been in the league long enough to know what it takes to win.

Mike McDaniel needs to be better for Miami to turn the season around

The win over New England was hard to watch, and even though the Dolphins flew back to Miami with a victory, fans were left feeling like they lost another game. There were no huge "Victory Monday" celebrations on social media. It felt like a marathon of boredom that sapped the enthusiasm out of the soul. The only relief in that game came when the clock struck zero, and the referees announced that it was the end of the game.

The Dolphins have to be better. McDaniel has to be better. Everything within the organization needs to be better. So far, they haven't been and a 15-10 win doesn't make the season taste sweeter, nor does the speech by McDaniel. Campbell at least is giving fans something to hope for is a positive. His leadership could change the path ahead.