Week 6 rewind

The Patriots during the Bill Belichick years have dominated the NFC during the regular season. Coming into this year the Pats were an amazing 38-9 against teams from the other conference. When looking at the schedule before each season you could almost always count on at least three wins in those four games. Not this year. With the team's last-second loss in Seattle they are now 0-for-2 against the NFC. The first one was their last-second loss to Arizona in Week 2. Last-second losses. That's been the biggest "bad" of the season so far.

GOOD

• Mistakes forced: The defense had two more takeaways against Seattle. The team now has forced 11 fumbles and recovered 10 of them in just six games. Best in the league. Throw in six picks as well and the defense -- for all its other issues -- is coming up with big plays. 
• Aaron Hernandez: The other half of the tight end dynamic duo was questionable before the game and the thinking was that he would be eased back into action. Belichick doesn't do easing. Hernandez caught Brady's first pass of the game and finished with six catches and a touchdown. A great touchdown. Good to have Hernandez back.
• Spikes and Mayo: Speaking of dynamic duos ... Mayo added to his total of tackles (second in the league) and Spikes added to his total of bone-rattling hits. If they can just stay healthy...

BAD

• Mistakes made: The Pats have made more mistakes in six games than I have seen them make in a season. Missed field goals. Bad clock management. Wasted time outs. Wasted red zone chances. Bad penalties. Crucial turnovers. These things are going to happen, especially on the road, but the emphasis needs to be on reducing the errors. And it will be.
• The secondary: What secondary? The thing is ... I'm not that down on the secondary. If Gregory and Chung were healthy you wouldn't have had rookies Wilson and Ebbert chasing Sidney Rice on the winning TD. I still think Chung is a very good NFL safety. But not with one arm. He needs to get healthy. As does Gregory. Then the secondary gets its depth back. I still think a secondary of McCourty/Chung/Gregory/ Arrington with Wilson, Ebbner, Dowling, and Dennard as backups will be just fine. 
• The play calling: When a team loses, the play calling is always criticized. When a team wins, not so much. Well, the Pats have three loses and in each of them there have been play calling issues. In the three wins, not so much. I agreed with going for it with six seconds left in the half. Brady needs to take care of business there. And I think if Bolden doesn't get hurt the Pats don't throw it as much. At least I hope they wouldn't have. When you rush for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games it makes no sense to throw it 58 times. I don't care how good the other team is supposed to be against the run.

The Pats are 3-3 but two of those losses are against the NFC. At the end of the year they don't count against you as much. But four of the next six games are against the AFC East. Starting with the Jets. Those games really count. The season starts Sunday.