The Giants’ tall order of going into Foxborough and taking down the undefeated New England Patriots on Thursday just got that much tougher.
Per multiple reports, star running back Saquon Barkley is unlikely to play in Week 6 despite making impressive progress that put his recovery from a high ankle sprain weeks ahead of schedule.
Barkley went down during the second quarter of Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was expected to miss up to eight weeks. In just over two weeks, the Giants have had serious conversations about bringing him back already.
If Barkley does not suit up, the Giants will be forced to start after Wayne Gallman suffered a concussion in Week 5 against the Vikings.
Jon Hilliman, a rookie running back out of Rutgers, is expected to be the Giants’ No. 1 back.
New York’s No. 1 receiver, Sterling Shepard, is also out for Week 6 after suffering a concussion, too. The 26-year-old was already in the league’s concussion protocol earlier this season as he was forced to miss Week 2.
He could be out for an extended period.
Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones’ favorite target, tight end Evan Engram, also might not be playing on Thursday night as he is dealing with a sprained MCL, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Engram has 33 catches for 373 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Expect wide receiver Golden Tate, who made his Giants debut on Sunday following a four-game suspension, to get a bulk of the targets moving forward.
