The Buffalo Bills’ season took another jarring turn Sunday with a 30-13 loss to the reeling Miami Dolphins, but one franchise legend isn’t panicking just yet. Former quarterback Jim Kelly, the Hall of Famer who led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s, had a strong message of calm for the Bills Mafia and his team’s embattled quarterback.

In the aftermath of defeat, Kelly put up a photo of Josh Allen on Instagram with a short but strong caption: “LET’S GO BUFFALO. Exactly, we’ll be just fine.”

Those four words, “we’ll be just fine,” became a rallying cry among Bills fans reeling from a frustrating loss. Kelly’s message was from a player who knows what it’s like to weather storms. Coming off the statement win over the Chiefs in Week 10, Sunday’s game with the Dolphins seemed like a relatively easy opportunity for the Bills.

It instead devolved into one of the ugliest performances of the season for Buffalo. They completely collapsed on both sides of the ball. The offense sputtered for three quarters, and the defense was shredded for 197 rushing yards. The defeat widened the gap in the AFC East race.

However, one bad afternoon doesn’t shake Kelly’s faith in Allen or the franchise’s long-term direction. The Hall of Famer has been a steadfast voice on behalf of Allen in times good and bad, often preaching patience when panic sets in among the fanbase. His “we’ll be just fine” sentiment pushed back against the growing narrative that Buffalo’s Super Bowl window is closing.

The problems are real, though: against Miami, the passing game was out of rhythm and devoid of explosiveness, despite an offensive line that mostly held up well. Allen finished with modest numbers, hurt in large part by a receiving corps that once again struggled to gain separation.

The Bills’ attempt to acquire Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline only poured fuel on criticism of general manager Brandon Beane’s offseason strategy at wide receiver. Defensively, the tackling woes continued as the Dolphins routinely broke through first contact.

The Buffalo situation isn’t about just one loss but about repetition, from missed tackles to inconsistent play-calling; the same flaws have been repeated week in and week out. Even going forward, as Jim Kelly noted, the Bills’ fate was in their hands.

Sean McDermott won’t budge on offense

A day after the defeat, head coach Sean McDermott was pushing back against questions about the future of his staff, most notably of offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Many analysts have questioned whether Buffalo’s offense has taken a step backward under his direction, but McDermott quickly doused speculation of changes.

Asked directly if he would continue with Brady for the rest of the season, McDermott simply said: “Yes.”

Reporters also asked McDermott about a reunion with Brian Daboll, who was fired on Sunday as head coach of the New York Giants. McDermott put that rumor to bed immediately.

“It’s not under any type of consideration at this time,” he said.

His tone was firm, but it showed a sense of the organization to avoid reactionary moves as frustration builds. Brady took the blame for the unit’s poor performance.

“At the end of the day, when we played like we played, I have to do better,” he said to reporters after the game.

His words captured the sense throughout the locker room: While such words aren’t satisfying for everyone in Buffalo, McDermott’s commitment to stability serves as a reflection of confidence.

Up next for the Bills is a road date against the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a matchup that could define their trajectory for the rest of the season.