Three takeaways from tonight's win

Tim Wright celebrates with Bryan Stork after scoring a touchdown Jim Rogash/Getty Images

For weeks people have criticized the Logan Mankins trade and were justified in their complaints. The offensive line was considered horrendous and Tim Wright's total stats for the season were 4 receptions for 35 yards. After tonight that view will likely change. Wright had an explosive performance with 5 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown and Brady seemed very comfortable in the pocket. Perhaps that deal doesn't seem so bad now.

People are going to talk about the defense, how Brady was accurate and the effective run game. My favorite part of the game was seeing James Develin on the field more often, even giving him the ball, 2 carries for 5 yards. Having Develin in the game I thought really made a difference. He is a guy who can really open up the running game with solid blocks and for a full back he has pretty soft hands catching 4 balls last year for 62 yards. It also showed that the Patriots were committed to the run game which I was glad to see.

There is nothing more likely to get you benched than simply giving up on a play. That is exactly what Brandon Lafell did on a fade route in the second quarter. Lafell ran deep, looked back, apparently didn't think the ball was coming to him and started to slow down. Then he saw the ball land about five yards ahead of him (where he should have been) and you could tell he had a look on his face like he knew he was going to get an earful. He played later in the game but I'm sure he will get an earful for the lack of effort.

I think Patriots fans across the nation are going to sleep well tonight.

Accountability Reminder: I predicted the Bengals would win by 14, I have never been so happier to eat crow.

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