The New York Giants and San Diego Chargers both took a potentially crippling blow to their Super Bowl hopes this season.

The Giants’ Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to miss the entire 2008 season. Umenyiroa led the Super Bowl champion G-Men with 13 sacks last season, and recorded 14.5 sacks in 2005.

This injury and the retirement of Michael Strahan has left the Giants, a team known for it’s defense, paper thin at defensive end. New York head coach Tom Coughlin will have to choose between veteran Renaldo Wynn or Dave Tollefson to start opposite Justin Tuck. He could also move Mathias Kiwanuka back to the line from linebacker.

In San Diego, superstar linebacker Shawne Merriman tore two torn knee ligaments. He is being advised to undergo season-ending surgery. The 24-year-old would like to play this season, but would put his career in jeopardy in he does decide to forego surgery.

Merriman recorded 12.5 sacks last season, and has 39.5 sacks in just 42 games in the NFL. When it comes to the Chargers’ defense, Merriman is the straw that stirs the drink. The pressure he puts on opposing quarterbacks led to the Bolts leading the NFL with 30 interceptions in 2007.  The Maryland product makes the Chargers 3-4 defense work. Without a speedy line backer with a penchant for pounding quarterbacks, signal callers have all day to pick apart holes in the 3-4.

As crucial he is to his team’s success, Merriman would be foolish to play this season. Some of the best doctors in the country have advised that he shut it down immediately. I respect him for wanting to get out there and help his team, but he shouldn’t risk throwing away his entire career and potential long-term disability just to play this season. Even if he does play, he’ll be nowhere near 100 percent.

Both Umenyiora and Merriman are the heartbeat of their defenses. With the Giants playing in the always tough NFC East, they may fall from Super Bowl champions to looking up at Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins by the end of the season.

While I would expect the Chargers to still win their division without Merriman (the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders aren’t expected to do much in the ACF West), their Super Bowl hopes would take a huge hit in the ultra-competitive AFC.

Before this injury, the preseason news surrounding the Chargers was that the team feels like the window is closing. Like it’s “Super Bowl or bust” in 2008. They’ll have to get passed a slew of serious contenders in the AFC (the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers), as well as a host of improving teams (the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans) to accomplish that feat. My guess is they’ll have to change their motto to “wait ‘till next year.”

I think these injuries are as big as a team losing its starting quarterback, though Umenyiora and Merriman won’t garner nearly as many headlines. They are both amazing athletes who have rare, game-changing talent. Their injuries change the Giants and Chargers from Super Bowl contenders to, well, who knows.

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