On Sept. 12, with a doubleheader of Patriots at Dolphins followed by Raiders at Broncos, “Monday Night Football” will begin its 42nd season, its sixth on ESPN. Analysts Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden spoke to The Post on a conference call about the upcoming season.
Q: What do you think about the moves the Jets made this offseason, and do they have a chance to beat the Patriots and win the AFC East?
Gruden: They [the Jets] have done a lot in the offseason, but the real question is can this receivers’ core come together fast enough to propel this offense to the next level? If Plaxico [Burress] can stay healthy, and [Derrick] Mason can go wire-to-wire for 16 weeks, I think they’ve helped themselves. But with the amount of time they’ve missed with the short offseason, I think they’ll have a tough time getting together. I lean to New England [in the AFC East], personally.
Q: What is the biggest question mark for the Jets as they head into the opener vs. Dallas?
Jaworski: We know that the Jets have a great defense, but the one question I have is the offensive line. When those guys are healthy, they can come off the ball. You know what the Jets want to do — they want to run the football. They will get some explo sive plays from those receivers, but if Bill Callahan can keep that offensive line healthy, I think they can topple the Patriots.
Q: Mark Sanchez and other top draft picks are thrown into the starting QB job as rookies. How do you feel about that process?
Jaworski: I’m old school in quarterback development. Quarterbacks are now thrown to the wolves, and there have been some guys who have had success, but most couldn’t handle pressure, the physical beating, or the public outcry.
Q: The Eagles have made the biggest splash in terms of signing free agents this offseason. That hasn’t always worked in the past, so will it work for the Eagles?
Jaworski: Football is the consummate team game. Philadelphia has an incredible amount of talent, but there was also an incredible amount of changes on the coaching staff. It takes time to develop that chemistry and that’s so important. . . . I think it’s going to be difficult for them to get off to a fast start.
Q: What’s your take on the new rule reviewing all scoring plays?
Gruden: I don’t like the rule at all. What are we doing, trying to save the coaches a challenge? It’s not the length of the game or the time of the delays [that bother me]. It’s the timing of the delay. It’s the most exciting time of the game.