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Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tyreek Hill added another chapter to his complicated relationship with New England Patriots fans on Sunday night, calling them “some of the worst fans in the NFL.”
The Miami Dolphins wide receiver was asked, after his team’s 24-17 victory, how it felt to wave goodbye to the home crowd, and he didn’t hold back.
“It feels amazing, man,” Hill said. “Those fans are some of the worst fans in the NFL. And I’ll stand by that; they’re really mean. Some of the things they say, I wouldn’t say in church. So yeah, it’s great. to say goodbye to fans, and I’ll do it again. Bye.”
This isn’t Hill’s first blast with Patriots fans. A man at Gillette Stadium was charged with disorderly conduct in 2018 after throwing beer at Hill following his 70-yard touchdown reception while he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The man is also banned from future events at the stadium.
After recording 215 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches in Week 1, Hill finished Sunday’s game with 40 yards and a touchdown on five receptions as the Patriots looked to take down the threat of a deep pass. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, New England had five or more defensive backs on the field for 32 of its 61 snaps — 17 of which had six defensive backs on the field.
Hill said he’s not afraid of the Patriots’ coverages, but he praised Christian Gonzalez, saying the rookie cornerback will be “a real good player in this league.”
The Dolphins jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead, but a missed field goal late in the fourth quarter gave New England the ball a chance to tie the game. Miami forced a turnover on downs to seal the victory.
Hill, a three-time All-Pro, said he was proud of the Dolphins’ win, which pushed Miami to an AFC East-leading 2-0 record.
“It feels good, man. It always feels good to beat maybe one of the best coaches of all time,” he said, referring to New England’s Bill Belichick. “To come here in a tough environment, to win a game like this on a Sunday night, it’s good – especially the way this team played, the way this team battled difficulty.
“It just shows that if you put in the work mentally, physically, and come to this game prepared, you’re ready for situations like that.”
