NFL rumors: Giants could be without three top offensive players vs. Patriots

The New York Giants already were facing an incredibly tough task against an elite New England Patriots defense ahead of Thursday night's Week 6 matchup at Gillette Stadium, and that challenge has grown even greater due to injuries.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley reportedly is unlikely to play. He suffered an ankle sprain in New York's Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the list of Giants injuries doesn't stop there. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that wide receiver Sterling Shepard is out and tight end Evan Engram also might not play Thursday.

In addition to WR Sterling Shepard being out Thursday at New England and RB Saquon Barkley being unlikely to play, there’s also a real chance the Giants will be without TE Evan Engram, who is dealing with a sprained MCL, per source. It’ll be a challenge for Engram to play at NE.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2019

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So, to recap, it looks like the Giants will be without their top two pass-catchers (Shepard and Ingram) and their leading rusher (Barkley). Second-string running back Wayne Gallman, who's started in place of Barkley, missed Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a concussion. His status for Week 6 is unknown.

These injuries create a difficult scenario for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, who likely will face a very talented Patriots defense without many of his top weapons. New England's defense leads the league in yards allowed per game, points allowed per game, sacks, interceptions, takeaways and third-down conversions.

The Giants will need veteran wideout Golden Tate, who returned from a 4-game suspension in Week 5, to give a great performance versus the Patriots for New York's offense to be competitive.