Week 6 previews:
Slate includes Eagles-Vikings, 49ersRams, Lions-Packers.
❚ Fantasy rankings, Page 7
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV: Fox, NFL Network
Danny Sheridan’s line: Patriots by 15
Giants’ keys to victory: The Giants badly need RB Saquon Barkley, who has teased the possibility of playing against the Patriots but has not played since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3. RB Wayne Gallman has been inconsistent in Barkley’s stead, and QB Daniel Jones will need balance on offense if he’s going to figure out how to beat the top-ranked Patriots’ defense. He’s likely to be without WR Sterling Shepard, who is in concussion protocol. New York’s defense, meanwhile, has to figure out how to stop the pass, which has been a tremendous weakness.
Patriots’ keys to victory: On offense, the Patriots should be able to throw endlessly. QB Tom Brady has thrown two red-zone interceptions in the last two games, but New England can rely heavily on WRs Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon. The Patriots’ defense can keep doing what it has been doing: disguising coverages and blitzes with complicated pre-snap movements.
Matchup to watch: Giants’ Jones vs. Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots are 11-0 at Gillette Stadium against rookie quarterbacks. Jones might be promising. He might drop dimes. But Belichick, despite having praise for the young QB, has made a tradition of getting pass rushers into opposing backfields, particularly when his defense is as good as the unit in 2019.
Who wins? The Giants’ defense won’t be able to stop New England’s passing attack. Even if Barkley returns, he won’t find room to run.
Patriots, 41-6