Chris Perkins: Arrival of the fittest — This Dolphins team now belongs to Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill

MIAMI GARDENS — Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill are amazing. We know that. Both are on a path toward the Hall of Fame.

The question is whether Ramsey, the Dolphins’ All Pro cornerback, and Hill, the Dolphins’ All Pro wide receiver, will lead the Dolphins to a Super Bowl on their way to Canton.

Hill and Ramsey, who arrived last season and this season, respectively, are the leaders of this Miami Dolphins team, make no mistake about that.

We’ve seen and heard evidence of their exploits and effects in recent weeks. The Dolphins will go as far as Ramsey and Hill take them. This team now belongs to them.

That’s no disrespect to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a natural and elected team leader, a guy who is in the running for NFL MVP, and it’s no disrespect to left tackle Terron Armstead, another natural and elected team leader, or anyone else on the roster.

Tagovailoa, Armstead and others rightfully remain team leaders.

It’s just that Hill and Ramsey are on a different level from everyone, on and off the field. They’ve won Super Bowls, and they’re good enough to do it again. They’re more qualified than their teammates to take this team where it wants to go.

“I think some of the biggest influences that those two players have in particular,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “are there’s a calming nature that they bring to big moments because it’s hard enough to make plays in this league when you’re at that level.

“The reason they are at that level is because they have made the biggest plays in the biggest moments in the biggest games.”

Having Ramsey and Hill on the same team is magical. It’s practically transcendent. 

As McDaniel said, they do big things at big moments. We got a taste of that in last Sunday’s 20-13 victory over Las Vegas.

Ramsey had two dramatic interceptions, the last in the end zone to preserve the win. Hill had a speed-burning 38-yard touchdown reception in which he outran Raiders defenders to the end zone.

Ramsey and Hill aren’t on the same level as, say, the Heat’s Big Three of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

But the Ramsey-Hill duo is up there in NFL terms.

“It’s special,” wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said.

Ramsey and Hill are the Dolphins’ best offensive-defensive 1-2 punch since Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino was on the same team as Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor and Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas back in the late 1990s.

Those teams never went past the divisional round of the playoffs.

Hill and Ramsey are tasked with taking the Dolphins farther. They’re tasked with taking the Dolphins all the way.

That’s why they’re here, it’s why McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier wanted both players. 

Ramsey gives the entire defense confidence.

“He just brings kind of like a calming presence to other guys when he’s out there,” defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said. “He’s just kind of like ‘All right, it’s all good.’ He’s never rattled, just really always cool, collected like ‘Hey, we’re playing ball, we’re chilling.’ ”

It doesn’t end there, though.

Listen to safety Jevon Holland talk about what Hill brings to the team.

 “He’s the fastest player in the league,” Holland said. “He can make a play at any point. Just changes the game. I think that covers everything. And he’s hilarious. That’s cool, too.”

Don’t discount that last part. It’s one of those crucial behind-the-scenes traits. Those are invaluable. It ingratiates star players to the grinders, the everyday guys.

About a month ago I was talking to a player about Hill and he mentioned that it’s cool that Hill hangs out with teammates like it’s not a big deal, that Hill is just one of the guys. He said he once had a diva wide receiver as a teammate and the wide receiver (who I won’t name) didn’t hang out with the rest of the team. He said Hill could have taken that same route but he didn’t.

There are numerous other things Ramsey and Hill bring to the table.

Teammates talk about how their competitive nature spreads throughout the team, they talk about how those guys share tips whether it’s while watching tape or on the sideline during a game. They go above and beyond. They do things out of public view.

“When you see how both of those guys compete in practice, that sets the standard,” McDaniel said. “I attribute one of the reasons we have such a strong practicing group is because of those two individuals.”

There’s more.

“I think the not spoken about as much factor that really makes them invaluable to the team is how they really uplift their teammates in games and practice,” McDaniel said.

Football teams require many leaders. And the Dolphins have many leaders. I’ve mentioned Tagovailoa and Armstead. There’s also Wilkins, Waddle, Holland, right guard Robert Hunt, running back Raheem Mostert, cornerback Xavien Howard, center Connor Williams, linebacker Jerome Baker, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb and a few others.

But Ramsey and Hill are different.

They can do things others can’t, on and off the field, and that’s why this is now their team now.