The collagen fibril network is a key structural element of articular cartilage and plays a crucial role in maintaining its mechanical integrity. In degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis, this network undergoes significant alterations, including loss of interconnectivity (crosslinks) and changes in collagen orientation in the superficial zone. In this work, we present a computational study to address how these structural alterations influence the mechanical behavior of the cartilage superficial layer. To this end, we extend a multiscale three-dimensional fiber-based model by explicitly modeling fibril interconnections. This framework enables a more realistic representation of the cartilage collagen network compared with previous studies, which considered only planar two-dimensional models. Degenerative cartilage scenarios are simulated by varying crosslink density and fibril orientation relative to a healthy cartilage case. Transverse tensile tests are then performed to evaluate the macroscopic mechanical behavior, as well as the strain energy and stress distributions in the network components. The results indicate that reduced crosslink density increases the non-linearity of the macroscopic transverse response, while further reductions beyond a certain level do not produce additional decreases in network stiffness. Additionally, a few components are predicted to develop significantly higher stresses, potentially acting as critical regions for microdamage initiation. In conclusion, the proposed model represents a useful computational tool for studying the mechanical behavior of the cartilage collagen network under both healthy and degenerative conditions.