Just stop. Sit down. And take a look at where you are right now. Yes, I’m talking to you Red So … oops, I mean Patriots fans. Just look at the horrifying scenario facing your so-called team. You, of all fans, should know the danger of being so unbelievably cocky going into the Super Bowl as an overwhelming favorite. Or was Super Bowl XXXVI really that long ago? Don’t you remember the entire sports world saying of the St. Louis Rams exactly what they are now saying about the Patriots?

There is no chance the great Bill Belichick can possibly lose to an NFC team, or as Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan likes to call it: the junior conference. You softies are setting yourselves up for such a huge let down, and I couldn’t be happier.

I guess no one around here has ever played poker, because I’m sure any gambler would know you never count your money at the table. To quote Kenny Rogers, “There’ll be plenty of time for counting when the deal is done.” Oh wait, I forgot. The deal is done. The Eagles stand no chance against the Pats. New England’s third NFL championship in four years, and status as a dynasty, is a lock. A sure thing.

Heed my warning, you bandwagon dupes: The only sure thing about a sure thing is that it isn’t a sure thing at all. And while you callow Pats fans will glance at the numbers and recite the only statistics you know (the Eagles gave up 119 yards per game on the ground and opponents averaged 4.3 yards per carry), I’d like to point out a few overlooked particulars hidden beneath those oh-so-trendy figures.

If you’re a football fan you probably already know this, but since most of you just cheer for the Patriots when there’s nothing cooking on the Red Sox’ hot stove, I’ll give you an outsider’s point of view.

The Iggles Pro Bowl middle linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter, was a training camp acquisition after the Redskins cut him over the summer. Trotter was drafted by Philly and spent the first three years of his career in the City of Brotherly Love (or the promised land, as I like to call it), but wanted too much dinero two years back and was allowed to sign a typical Daniel Snyder contract with the Skins. (Daniel Snyder owns the Washington Redskins and throws cash around like Bush throws around warheads.)

When Trotter failed to produce numbers that justified his contract, he was released and Andy Reid and the Eagles accepted him back for basically nothing. However, for the privilege of joining the best team in the NFC, Trotter was forced to earn a starting spot by playing on special teams.

No one in Philly actually thought Andy Reid was going to leave a linebacker like Trotter, someone who was born to play in Jim Johnson’s defensive scheme, on special teams for more than a game or two. But Andy Reid runs a tight ship, a lot like his nemesis in New England. Reid kept Trotter on special teams for the entire first half of the season, and only gave him a chance on the first team defense after the Birds were run over by the Steelers in week eight.

From that date on, the Eagles run defense improved immensely, allowing opponents just 3.9 yards per carry, or the exact same amount the Patriots elite defense has allowed.

So now that you don’t have that number to lean on, you’re starting to get a little uneasy. Not nervous. Just uneasy. But come on, your team has won the Super Bowl twice in the past three years. And besides, everyone on ESPN says the Patriots are better. The Pats must have some other statistical edge, right? Wrong.

The Eagles and Pats have almost identical numbers up and down the board. Everywhere one team has an advantage, like the Pats rushing yards per game average (133.4) vs. the Eagles (102.4) the other team makes up in another category like the Eagles passing yards per game (248.7) vs. the Pats (224.2). Look them up. It’s ridiculous.

This Super Bowl is setting up to be one of the greatest. But if you think about it, this is how it was always supposed to be. This is the championship game the whole world wanted to see last year. Can you imagine if the Patriots had to play a good team in last year’s Super Bowl? Sure, the Eagles got beat badly by the Panthers, but without McNabb at the helm (he was injured on a late hit in last year’s championship game), this offense probably couldn’t score on the Northeastern defense.

I’m not making excuses for the Eagles, but they were a better team than the Panthers. They didn’t get out-coached, they got out-played, and if they hadn’t, I’ll be the first to admit they wouldn’t have stood a chance last year against New England. But this year is different.

With the addition of Terrell Owens, the Eagles turned their offense from potent to lethal, and by adding Jevon Kearse, Dahani Jones and Trotter, they turned their defense from solid to cutthroat. And while it is still uncertain whether T.O. will play at all, let alone be anywhere close to 100 percent, his effect was far greater off the field than on the field. I know, it sounds silly, but his cocky swagger not only infected the Birds locker room with a much-needed strain of confidence, it directly affected the mindset and poise of one Donovan McNabb.

That, my soft New England counterparts, should scare the crap out of you. Imagine if Tom Brady was actually a good quarterback, not just an efficient cog in Charlie Weiss’ offensive scheme. That’s essentially what McNabb has become. If he stays as poised and confident as he has been all year long, he is the ultimate weapon.

Remember, this isn’t Peyton Manning here. McNabb has already slain his demons (the NFC championship) and has no deep-rooted fear of Bill Belichick like Manning so obviously does. And don’t try to tell me the Colts are better than the Birds. THEY DON’T PLAY DEFENSE! Not to mention the fact that Bellicheck’s camouflaged bump and run defense will beat Manning, outside of a dome, 99 out of 100 games. And I don’t care how good Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger played during the regular season. He was still a rookie quarterback playing in a championship game and was just as bad, if not worse, the week before against the Jets. The Eagles will be the best team the Pats play in the playoffs. Believe me, I’m not just a homer. I watch football way more than you do.

Now just in case you’re getting a little bit more anxious, take a deep breath and relax. Remember it’s only February and we aren’t talking about the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. However, do fear the Eagles. You New Englanders are getting kind of heavy; I’d even say pretty fat. Philadelphia has been starved since 1983 and the entire city is hungry. So think before you speak about this done deal, and remember this final nugget of truth: Cheese steaks (not steak and cheeses) are way better than chowdER.

– Max Lederman is the sports editor of The News and can be reached at [email protected]. He can be heard every Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on WRBB 104.9’s Dog Pound Sports Sound.