AS we steam toward our first New York-New York Super Bowl, The Great Debate suddenly rages:
Who’s better, the Giants or the Jets?
For most of this season, one in which Tom Coughlin & Co. have slammed the door shut on complacency as they dare the rest of the league to just try and rip the Lombardi Trophy from them, the Giants have staked their claim to being The Best Team in Football.
But look, up in the sky, at that glowing green-and-white object – isn’t that a UFO? It must be a UFO, because it can’t be the Jets . . . can it?
Oh yes it can. Yes it is.
And the graybeard pilot at the controls . . . isn’t that Brett Favre?
Oh yes it is.
We are left with this $XLIII Million Question: Can the Best Team in the AFC (your New York Jets) beat The Best Team in Football (your New York Giants)?
If Favre plays like this, hell yes they can.
It’s a big, big if, but not nearly as big an if as if the Joe Namath Jets play a perfect game, they can beat the Baltimore Colts.
If Favre plays like this, making super decisions and getting the ball out and machine-gunning defenses with short and intermediate-range bullets and quelling all reckless instincts, it will stymie the great Giants pass rush that reduced Tom Brady to a mere mortal in Super Bowl XLII.
If Favre plays like this, and controls the ball the way he did against the Titans, there is no way The Best Offensive Line in Football will be able to lead Earth, Wind and Fire to another 200-yard rushing day.
If the Giants and Jets met today, Las Vegas would make Big Blue a 3-to-3½-point favorite, down from 6½-to-7 because of Gang Green’s Titanic victory in Tennessee.
“The Giants are better primarily because of their defense,” said Bob Scucci, director of race and sports for Boyd Gaming. “They still have the best pass rush in the game. If anyone’s gonna give Brett Favre some trouble, it’s gonna be the Giants defense.” If Brandon Jacobs or Plaxico Burress were forced to sit, the line would drop to 3.
Jay Rood, MGM Mirage Race and Sportsbook director, agrees that it could be a long day for Favre. “He’d become uncomfortable and could possibly throw some picks,” Rood said.
Let The Great New York Football Debate Begin:
QUARTERBACK – The Jets believe in Favre as much as any team can believe in a guy who just got here in August. The Giants wholeheartedly believe in Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLII MVP. Giants fans will talk until they’re blue in the face about how Manning outplayed Favre in last January’s NFC Championship game. Manning has been steady and can carry the load if Earth, Wind and Fire need rescuing, as we saw in Arizona. He isn’t as dynamic as Favre, but makes fewer mistakes. Favre, however, has played like his legendary self over the past three weeks. Manning has a better understanding of his offense than Favre does of his. Both of them show up every Sunday and both of them are leaders: Favre fire and Manning ice. The tentative tiebreaker right now: Favre has figured out how to squeeze every last ounce of greatness from his Hall of Fame right arm.
SLIGHT EDGE: JETS
RUNNING BACKS – Hard-nosed Thomas Jones and electric Leon Washington have closed the gap on Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.
SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
OFFENSIVE LINE – Alan Faneca and Damien Woody have been godsends for an Achilles’ heel. But Messrs. Diehl, Seubert, O’Hara, Snee and McKenzie define cohesiveness.
EDGE: GIANTS
WIDE RECEIVERS / TIGHT ENDS – An imposter has been wearing Plaxico Burress’ 17 jersey, while Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery or Dustin Keller can be Favre’s Go- To-Guy on any given Sunday.
EDGE: JETS
DEFENSIVE LINE – Both units are stout against the run, but no one is as domi nant as NT Kris Jen kins. But no one on the Jets can rush the quarterback like Justin Tuck, with help from book end Mathias Kiwanuka.
SLIGHT EDGE: GI ANTS
LINEBACKERS – Antonio Pierce is a peer less leader, but Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas have brought the heat, and David Bowens has filled in admir ably for sidelined David Harris alongside Eric Barton inside.
SLIGHT EDGE: JETS
SECONDARY – Darrelle Revis is the best corner, Kerry Rhodes the best safety.
EDGE: JETS
SPECIAL TEAMS / KICKING GAME – John Carney over Jay Feely by a toe; Jeff Feagles over Reggie Hodges by a leg; Pro Bowler Washington over Domenik Hixon.
SLIGHT EDGE: JETS
COACHING – Mangenius is back, but Coughlin has the experience, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is head-coaching timber.
EDGE: GIANTS
INTANGIBLES – The Giants are a team in every sense of the word, with superior internal leadership. Favre and Co. haven’t been through the wars yet.
EDGE: GIANTS
One man’s conclusion: The Giants are 1. The Jets are 1a. It’s up to Favre to take them higher between here and Tampa. So Favre, yet so near. No 4-gone conclusion in your New York- New York Super Bowl.
PREDICTION: Giants 24, Jets 21.
steve.serby
@nypost.com