MIAMI -- The postgame vibe in the visitors locker room was less despondent than resolute. The visiting Miami Dolphins had just given the Buffalo Bills more of a challenge than expected from a 14-point underdog, especially one without its starting quarterback.
The 34-31 wild-card loss ended Mike McDaniel's first season as a head coach and was a microcosm of the roller-coaster season. There was the gratifying success of making it to the playoffs and the disappointment of not having Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback because he was in concussion protocol. There was surprisingly sharp execution by the defense and a brutal delay-of-game penalty on a fourth-and-1 that McDaniel blamed on miscommunication.