Michael Boley would have run with Jeremy Shockey a step more quickly than Danny Clark and knocked the pass away in the end zone.
Aaron Ross wouldn’t have stopped in his tracks the way Kevin Dockery did, allowing Marques Colston to sprint on by for six points.
Kenny Phillips would have leaped into the air and, unlike C.C. Brown, would have made a play on the ball to prevent Robert Meachem from hauling it in for a touchdown.
The Giants can play this what-if game and make a compelling case, competing without three starters and four key cogs in the defensive machinery.
For all the lip service paid to the competence and readiness of every player getting paid on the roster, the truth has always been that some get paid more and are more ready.
The best-laid plans for the Giants defense didn’t get trashed and burned amid the 48-point devastation in New Orleans, but the time has come to alter everyone’s thinking just a bit as the Giants brace for the Cardinals, another pass-happy opponent.
At full strength, the defense really had no weakness, as general manager Jerry Reese’s offseason stockpiling imported speed and depth and, in some areas, actually crammed too many quality athletes into certain positions.
Judged strictly from a talent standpoint, the hand dealt to first-year coordinator Bill Sheridan was a winning one. Of course, Sheridan and the defensive staff needed to formulate a plan of attack, make smart calls and create a cohesive rotation pattern, but all the answers were there. All Sheridan had to do was find them, just like an open-book test.
When Tom Coughlin back in the summer scoffed at the supposed depth that was generating so much praise, it sounded like typical coaching caution. But Coughlin was dead right. Depth isn’t depth unless it’s available.
Ross — a former first-round pick with great speed — hasn’t played one game this season because of a lingering hamstring issue that feels too much like a Jose Reyes deal.
Phillips — a budding star with remarkable physical tools — was great for two games and then was lost for the remainder of the season following knee surgery.
Boley was set back by offseason hip surgery, but in the three games he started was developing into the swift, play-making weak- side linebacker he was signed to be. Boley, coming off knee surgery, will be out at least two more games.
The defensive line, back in training camp, possessed an embarrassment of riches. Promising and productive third-year defensive tackle Jay Alford tore up his knee in the preseason, and costly free agent signing Chris Canty has played in only one game because of hamstring and calf injuries.
It’s not the same loaded defensive roster, but clearly, the Giants aren’t devoid of star-power or ability. Every team gets depleted, and sometimes it ruins a season. Brian Urlacher is gone from the heart of the Bears defense, and the Jets must confront the impossible task of replacing Kris Jenkins at nose tackle. Stuff happens.
The Saints ripped apart the Giants secondary, which now must rely on Brown and Dockery in stressful spots. Dependable Chase Blackburn for Boley represents a drop-off in the athletic skill level. No Canty means fewer options and perhaps too much strain on tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield, both coming off knee surgeries.
The rout in New Orleans started a stretch of eight consecutive games against good to very-good offensive teams. Drew Brees might have provided the lesson plan for Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb (twice), Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Kyle Orton and Tony Romo.
Everything becomes more of a challenge. Schemes must be devised to cover up the weakness that now exist. The NFL trading deadline yesterday came and went; no reinforcements are charging up the hill.
No defense is perfect, and the Giants are far more imperfect than they once were. They need more from their stars and more from their coaching staff until at least some of the wounded slowly trickle in.