Here is the conclusion you reach after analyzing the virtual reality 53-man ros ters at the conclusion of yesterday’s final cutdowns:
The Jets have a better chance of taking down the Patriots than the Giants have of taking down the Eagles.
The Jets will be fortified by the return to health of safety Jim Leonhard and linebacker Calvin Pace, who should supply a much-needed pass rush to a defense that can also disorient opponents with the schemes of coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. A defense Ryan wouldn’t trade for any in the league. And, of course, the expected leap to a higher level from Mark Sanchez.
Overlooked in their preseason of calamity is that the Giants have a chance to be more powerful in the trenches — with the addition of center David Baas, the moving inside of David Diehl and the promotion to the starting lineup of strongman defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
But the well-documented loss for the season of cornerback Terrell Thomas (and No. 1 draft pick cornerback Prince Amukamara into October), combined with the escape from New York of tight end Kevin Boss and receiver Steve Smith, combined with the Eagles’ well- documented free agent blitzkrieg, have lowered expectations considerably for Big Blue, as well they should. In the unlikely event there is yet a diamond in the rough for Giants general manager Jerry Reese to uncover on the waiver wire, Eli Manning’s tight ends will be Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard — a far cry from the days of Mark Bavaro, from Jeremy Shockey, even from Boss. And Manning’s third receiver is either Victor Cruz or Domenik Hixon — a far cry from a healthy Smith.
Manning’s burden will be magnified against the Eagles by having to throw into the teeth of their Bermuda Triangle secondary — Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuels and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
For the Giants to survive and surprise, they desperately need Manning to prove convincingly he is nobody’s 25-interception quarterback — the quarterback is always the key in a quarterback-driven league. They will need a healthy and focused Osi Umenyiora to contribute to a hellish pass rush that can be a deodorant for a woefully thin secondary, and they need left tackle Will Beatty not to be the weak link that sabotages both Manning and the running backs — Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
The signings by Bill Belichick and the Patriots of defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and receiver Chad Ochocinco do not scare the Jets because of their Bermuda Triangle of D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Matt Slauson and Nick Mangold on the offensive line and Leonhard, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie in the secondary.
The VIPs for the Jets — aside from the Sanchise, of course — will be Plaxico Burress and Shonn Greene. To enable Mark Sanchez to engage Tom Brady in any prospective shootout, Burress, a 34-year-old who hasn’t played in nearly three years, will need to endure the NFL rigors and show up in the red zone in those big moments that do not belong to Santonio Holmes.
To set up Sanchez for success and provide balance, Greene will need to tear a page out of the Curtis Martin book and stay on the field as The Man, through hell or high ankle sprain.
The key new Jet will be first-round draft pick Muhammad Wilkerson, who steps in and replaces Shaun Ellis (Patriots) at defensive end; third-round pick Kenrick Ellis, who must help Sione Pouha hold the nose tackle fort; fifth-round pick receiver Jeremy Kerley, who replaces Brad Smith in the return game as well as the Wildcat; and punter T.J. Conley, who replaces Steve Weatherford, who . . .
The key new Giants will be Amukamara, when he returns; third-round pick Jerrell Jernigan, who can be dangerous on punt returns both to the opposition and to coach Tom Coughlin; and Weatherford, who edged out punter/pariah Matt Dodge and will boot the ball to Hoboken before he boots it to DeSean Jackson.
Everyone — even in Philadelphia — should stand and cheer today for rookie free agent linebacker Mark Herzlich, who beat the odds first by beating cancer, then by returning to the game he loves, and finally, yesterday, when he officially became a Giant.
So with the start of their regular seasons a Sunday away, the immediate cry out of Florham Park is:
Bring on the Cowboys!
The immediate cry out of East Rutherford is:
Bring on the Redskins!
The louder, long-range cry out of Florham Park is:
Bring on the Patriots!
The much more subdued whisper out of East Rutherford is:
Bring on the Eagles.