Tyreek Hill's message to Malik Washington is exactly what Dolphins need

It didn't take long on Thursday night for the Miami Dolphins to get a dose of playing in Green Bay late in the season. It didn't take Malik Washington long to realize what a small mistake can do.

The Dolphins' defense stopped the Packers on the first drive of the game, forcing them to punt. Malik Washington was back to field the ball when the wind looked to have given it a little nudge, leaving Washington trying to catch the ball awkwardly.

Washington, of course, muffed the punt, and the Packers recovered. They would score on that second series. He didn't have a bad game as a wide receiver, but that play was enough to get the Packers flowing early and the Dolphins in a bind.

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Tyreek Hill shows incredible leadership with message to Malik Washington

Tyreek Hill wasn't going to let his rookie teammate deal with the stress of fumbling the ball, so he spoke with him on the sideline. After the game, he told the media, "We got the young fella's back."

Muffed punts happen, and it wasn't like Washington let the ball bounce off his chest or tried to run with the ball before he had it in his hands. Lambeau Field is a tough place to play, and when the weather is involved, the ball can take strange twists and turns. Hill took the right approach. It's a team game, and no one is perfect.

Mike McDaniel addressed the issue in his postgame press conference and said that Washington was naturally upset with losing the ball. He, too, said the ball took an odd turn and that Washington was simply trying to keep the ball from potentially being downed inside the 5-yard line.

The NFL has changed quite a bit over the years. A couple of decades ago, players were coached to stand on the 10-yard line, and if the ball went over your head, let it go and force the kicking team to stick you deep. Now, players call for a fair catch while standing at their own 5-yard line. In a league hellbent on statistical chances, it would seem that letting the ball go inside the five makes a lot of sense.

It would've helped the Dolphins to let this punt go.

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