BOSTON (CBS) – So who gets the blame for Sunday’s nerve-wracking performance by the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills?

It’s not all that hard to disperse the blame in this one. The defense let up 481 yards, but made the save in the end. The offense put up 37 points, but when they a chance to put the game away, they didn’t.

All the big money players are on the New England offense. They needed to handle their business and send the Bills walking, and didn’t find the end zone when they could have done that in the fourth quarter.

And they know it.

“The defense really saved the day,” quarterback Tom Brady said following the game. “We certainly had more opportunities out there to score more points and we didn’t. The defense made a couple great plays there at the end.”

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The defense made THE great play at the end, and trust me, there was not a lot of faith in the stadium either. The defense is what it is; they are going to give up a lot of yards. Their big thing is stopping the run and coming up with the big play.

But it doesn’t help a struggling defense when the offense takes their foot off the gas.

“We put a lot of pressure on our defense by not going out and finishing the game,” said receiver Deion Branch, who other than a key drop in the first quarter had a solid afternoon. “There were a couple of times that we could have put them away and we didn’t.”

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One thing is certain. While the Bills may not be a great team, they are giving the Patriots fits lately. It’s now four straight games the Bills have fought hard, and one of those games, they actually pulled out the victory.

Follow Levan Reid on CBSBostonsports.com and on Twitter @LevanReid all Patriots’ season long!