But this isn't about whether it will happen; this is about whether it can happen. It's up to the Jets, who must come up big, or should we say "giant," in five days. They'll either give your fantasy the green light or the yellow.

Until then, yellow is best. No question, both local Football teams are a combined 16-4 after 10 games and creating an atmosphere not felt around here since 1986, when they were 19-3 after 11 games. Yes, '86 comes to mind when weighing the present-day possibilities, because it serves as a cautionary tale. That season demonstrated the potential and the perils of long-term dreaming. It raised hopes, sent a buzz through the stadium shared by both teams and eventually saw the champagne glass go half-full, since only one reached the Super Bowl.

The Giants were the dominant team in Football that year, same as now. It was the coming of age of Bill Parcells and the turning point of the franchise after decades of decay. They had eight Pro Bowlers, went 10-0 at home, Lawrence Taylor was at his ferocious peak and after stomping the 49ers in the playoffs, the Giants didn't face a serious threat. They relied on a pass rush, wore teams down with the running game and used a safe and conservative passing approach by Phil Simms to near perfection (22-for-25 against the Broncos in the big game).

Yet, at one point that year, they were the No. 2 team in town. "We weren't too bad, either," Joe Walton said.

The Jets won 10 of their first 11 with their best team since 1968. They beat John Elway and the Broncos, who ultimately won the conference, slipped past Dan Marino in a classic overtime shootout, and the Bills twice. But the injuries came quick and heavy; that's what Walton, the coach, remembers most.

"After we won something like eight straight," he said yesterday, "my wife said I should smile more. I said, 'Blondie, we're losing star players every week.' We had seven Pro Bowl players go down. We couldn't keep winning after that."

The morale and especially the defense took a beating; Lance Mehl, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau were never the same after injuries. The Jets lost their final five regular-season games and limped into the postseason with health and quarterback concerns. They surprised the Chiefs in the wild-card game before losing to the Browns in double OT. If that wasn't bad enough, it took 12 years before the Jets reached the second round again.

Good luck finding another team in NFL history with the crummy luck the Jets had in 1986. Walton said he's not a "what-if" guy, but the former coach caught himself in a what-if moment upon further reflection. "With the start we had," Walton said quietly, "we thought we might go far into the playoffs."

Walton and the Jets discovered the harsh realities of the NFL season and why nothing can be taken for granted, especially something as unusual as an all-New York Super Bowl. Good health is a week-by-week roll of the dice. Then, once the postseason begins, anything's possible; just ask the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots, who learned the hard way last winter against the Giants.

The Giants at 9-1 are poised to lock up home field throughout the playoffs and should that happen, it'll seem like 1986 all over. For them, anyway. Once again, the Jets are the issue here. Even at 7-3 and holding the division lead, they're not convincing as championship material yet. There's a game Sunday with the Titans, then another month of Football, and if all goes right, an even bigger game in Tennessee.

"I'd like to see Jets vs. Giants happen," Walton said. "It would be a nice thing."

Nice thing, perhaps.

Sure thing? Get real.

Sunday

Jets at Tennessee

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WEPN (1050), WABC (770), WRCN (103.9)