Nearly half the NFL awoke Monday with winning records as Week 6 neared its end. Ten teams are 4-2 or better, although a couple -- Pittsburgh and Oakland, for sure -- played more like the Cleveland Browns than like teams with real aspirations.

Separating contenders from pretenders is easy at the top, but a dozen teams will wind up earning postseason spots, with probably half of them having legitimate shots at reaching the Super Bowl. Which ones are the real deals? A run through all teams with winning records and a few other notables provides some clarity.

True contenders can trust their defenses. They have quarterbacks who protect the football and can flourish in two-minute situations. They have track records for improving late in the season, and they ideally can win games even when their preferred formula becomes unavailable to them.

CONTENDERS

Cream of the crop

New England Patriots (5-1): The Patriots check all the boxes. Tom Brady's 782 yards and six touchdowns in his first two games back from suspension have rightfully grabbed headlines, but the Patriots are also giving up only 15.2 points per game this season, tied for their third-best mark through six games in the Brady era. That's remarkable for a team that unloaded top pass-rusher Chandler Jones in the offseason.