It was a most difficult assignment to begin with for the Miami Dolphins. After gaining the No. 7 spot in the AFC playoff structure during the final week of the season, the only way the Dolphins could keep their playoff hopes alive was to go to Buffalo and beat the No. 2 seeded Bills.

The Dolphins were 13.5-point underdogs.

They had to do so without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater, who were both injured. They were depending on rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson and their defense to deliver an upset.

After falling behind 17-0, it looked like the rout was on. But the Dolphins came back to take a 24-20 lead and stayed in the game throughout before falling 34-31.

The Dolphins could have pulled off the upset, and here are the 3 Dolphins who deserve the most blame.

Head coach Mike McDaniel overwhelmed by moment

There were a number of issues that indicated that McDaniel was not prepared to lead his team in a playoff game. It began with the start of the game, as the Dolphins fell behind 17-0 early in the second quarter. Instead of delivering the opening blows that would have removed some of the pressure from their rookie quarterback, the Dolphins absorbed heavy shots from the Bills.

They were clearly off balance and while the game did not get away from the Dolphins, it was clear they were reacting to the Bills actions and not dictating the play.

Look at the way the game was managed in the second half. The Dolphins were out of timeouts with 4:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. That's not the way competent NFL teams manage playoff games. There's no excuse for that kind of game management.

When it came time to designing winning plays for the Dolphins offense, McDaniel failed miserably. That's supposed to be his strength. The Dolphins did not have an offensive play longer than 25 yards, and with the speedsters they have, that should not have been the case.

Thompson not ready for prime time

In many ways, Thompson delivered something of a heroic performance for the Dolphins. He was the quarterback of last resort for Miami, a third-teamer who probably best fits in holding a clip board or serving on the scout team.

But with Tua Tagovailoa (concussion protocol) and Teddy Bridgewater (finger) both out of action, the Dolphins had to turn to Thompson. They only lost by 3 points, so he had to do several things right.

However, the Dolphins had managed to stay in the game in the first half and actually took the lead in the third quarter when Zach Sieler picked up a Josh Allen fumble and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown. Once the Dolphins had gained the lead, they needed their quarterback to make enough plays to achieve the upset.

Thompson completed just 18 of 45 passes for 220 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was unable to deliver when the Dolphins needed him most.

Jaylen Waddle makes crucial drop

If the Dolphins were going to outscore the Bills in this playoff matchup, they needed their top weapons to make significant contributions.

That means speedy Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill would have had to burn the defense and leave the vulnerable Buffalo defensive backs waving at air as they attempted to make tackles. Neither receiver delivered in the expected manner.

Waddle struggled to hold on to the ball. He was targeted 7 times by Thompson and he caught just 3 passes for 44 yards. His key drop on Miami's first drive of the game was brutal, and set the tone for Miami's sloppiness throughout the game.