FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots (5-2) are riding pretty high thanks to a three-game winning streak that has pushed the team to the top of the AFC East and made questions about early season struggles a distant memory.

But heading into a six-game stretch against Chicago, Denver, at Indianapolis, Detroit, at Green Bay and at San Diego that is circled on the schedule as having the potential to define New England’s season, all is not necessarily smooth sailing.

Pro Bowl linebacker Jerod Mayo landed on injured reserve a week ago, the same day the Patriots were barely able to get by a New York Jets team that churned out 218 yards on the ground.

A front seven that was already built with questionable depth and overall experience has added another issue given that Chandler Jones will reportedly miss a month because of a hip injury suffered last Thursday night against New York.

Likely in reaction to the injuries and inability to stop the run — New England has allowed 191 yards or more in three of seven games this fall — coach Bill Belichick made a couple moves to bolster his front-seven this week.

The team traded a sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for linebacker Akeem Ayers and a seventh-round selection in return.

Ayers is a former 2011 second-round pick who had 100 tackles and six sacks in his best season in Tennessee in 2012. He recently dealt with knee injuries and a failure to fit into Ken Whisenhunt’s shift to the 3-4, playing in only two games and on 10 defensive snaps this season.

Ayers might be a long shot to be an impact guy in New England, but he certainly has more experience than undrafted rookie Deontae Skinner and practice squad call-up Ja’Gared Davis, both of whom have served as a depth and fill-ins for the Patriots this season.

“We’ll start working with (Ayers) today,” Belichick said. “He’s played linebacker, he’s played defensive end in sub situations. We’ll start working with him.”

The coach wasn’t ready to put any expectations on what Ayers might be able to offer his new team.

“I don’t know, we’ll see,” Belichick said. “I’d say he’s got some versatility, but we’ll see.”

New England also is reportedly set to add another former second-round pick, 6-foot-6, 325-pound defensive tackle Alan Branch.

Branch spent the first four years of his career in Arizona, two years in Seattle and 2013 in Buffalo. He was released this offseason after a DUI and has been out of football.

Branch is a career underachiever, but certainly would bring size and experience to the defensive line, something New England is lacking after putting Sealver Siliga on injured reserve with a designation to return and parting ways with veteran Tommy Kelly in August.

The Patriots are winning games. They’re also struggling to deal with injuries on defense that has left the unit more dubious unit than many had expected.

But don’t expect Belichick to lament the personnel losses or even acknowledge the toll they take on team.

“That’s the NFL,” he said. “That’s the way it is every week usually somewhere along the line, some positions, some situation. That’s something you deal with weekly. Look at every team we’ve played, they’ve had something. Look at us; we’ve had something to deal with every week. I’d say that’s the National Football League.

“We’re not talking about some breaking story here, are we? It’s been like that for 40 years for me. You hate to see it happen. You hate to be without any player, there’s no question about that. But every week, there’s something like that that you have to deal with.”

Belichick and the Patriots are dealing with it by adding whatever personnel that’s available to a defense that suddenly looks once again like it will go only as far as its Tom Brady-led offense can take it.

NOTES: CB Darrelle Revis missed New England’s practice on Tuesday. According to the Boston Globe, Revis arrived late for a morning meeting that day, with players returning from a three-day weekend after the previous week’s victory on Thursday Night Football, and was sent home by Bill Belichick as punishment for his tardiness. One of Revis’ business managers sent out a Tweet saying the Globe story was “not true.” Revis, answering questions before the Globe story became public on Wednesday, had little to say about his absence from the practice field. “Between me and coach,” Revis said. “Talk to him about it.” … DL Chris Jones was named the AFC special teams player of the week. Jones blocked Jets kicker Nick Folk’s 58-yard potential game-winning field goal last Thursday night to maintain New England’s 27-25 win as time expired. “I wasn’t the only guy in there in the middle pushing,” Jones said. “I just happened to be the one that got my hand up there and blocked the field goal. It’s an honor to win it.” … QB Tom Brady will never been known for his running ability. But his touchdown throw to Danny Amendola, which ended up providing the winning points, came with Brady on the run to his left. Moving around and throwing on the run is something Brady has worked hard on this year, an area that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels targeted for improvement.