Cornerbacks are like baseball closers. A short memory – the ability to shake off bad performances – is a job prerequisite

But anybody who doesn’t think the torching Jason Sehorn took last week against Tennessee isn’t affecting him obviously hasn’t spoken to him.

After Sehorn was victimized by Derrick Mason in one of the worst performances of Sehorn’s career, Giant coach Jim Fassel said his secondary looked confused.

Yesterday, Fassel said Sehorn had a rough outing.

Sehorn responded by being combative, contrary, and just plain cantankerous.

Sehorn has been honest about his distaste for doing work in nickel-and dime schemes. But when Will Peterson’s concussion forced him back into the lineup, he was largely responsible for Mason’s titanic 12-catch, 116-yard, one-touchdown day – not that Sehorn took any responsibility.

“I missed two tackles. I’d take that back,” Sehorn said of his game, before sniffing dismissively, “When a QB has 29 completions for 300 yards, he didn’t really go anywhere with the ball.

“They ran 5- and 10-yard routes all day long. We can’t let that happen again, can’t let another team dink and dunk you.”

Fassel admits Sehorn will have to be far better against the pass-happy Redskins Sunday in Washington, even if Sehorn won’t own up to that fact.

“At times he had a rough outing,” Fassel said of Sehorn. “I’m not sure any of them [played well].

“The thing about DBs, you wonder how long you’ve got to cover a guy if you can’t get pressure. You get a little cautious. I see him this game playing well, and playing better.”

He can’t play much worse. Mason left Sehorn with a shake-and-bake move for a six-yard touchdown, then turned him around for a 24-yard catch to set up another score.

But with Peterson doubtful, Sehorn probably will start again – exactly the topic he discussed with Fassel weeks ago.

“Jason’s a competitor,” Fassel said. “He’s handled it well. I know he wants to [start]. We had what some portrayed as a heated discussion, but it was very calm, matter-of-fact, very agreeable. I told him we make decisions now to get through this year, then we’ll make decisions in the offseason. He understands.”

When asked if that conversation was productive, Sehorn replied, “No. I’m in the same role. But it was nice to get something off your chest.”

Many of his answers yesterday were short, curt or caustic.

“I could care less: I don’t read the papers,” Sehorn said. “[But] if you’re a lightning rod, you’re a lightning rod. Live with it. … Take it on the chin and move on, and understand who those people are.

“When it’s somebody who … put on a jock and played and they understand the game and they know what’s going on, and they criticize you, then you take it to heart. But when it’s just somebody opinionating from 10 stories up, you just say that’s they’re opinion. They’ve got to write a paper, they’ve got to report on something seven days a week.”

Sehorn signed a six-year, $36 million deal after the Super Bowl. That’s exorbitant money to spend on a nickel back, raising the question of whether these final four games might decide whether he’ll be moved to free safety or out of town altogether.

“If you have something relevant to ask I’ll answer,” Sehorn snapped. “I’ll treat it no different than I did the previous 12. If they like what they see, they do. If they don’t, they don’t.

“I concern myself with pretty much nothing. It makes for a much easier life. It’s a business. You play football, you understand it’s a business first.”