Pat Shurmur on Barkley, Engram unlikely to play: You didn’t hear that from me

[Giant]

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Giants head coach Pat Shurmur spent last week maintaining that running back Saquon Barkley had a chance to play against the Vikings in the face of reports that Barkley would sit out, but Barkley was ultimately ruled out on Friday due to the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week Three.

There are reports that Barkley will miss Thursday night’s game as well, but Shurmur isn’t veering from his playbook when it comes to the running back or to tight end Evan Engram. There was a report Tuesday that Engram has a “real chance” of sitting out due to a knee injury.

“You didn’t hear that from me,” Shurmur said at a Tuesday press conference.

Barkley and Engram both did some work at Tuesday’s practice and one can understand the desire to keep even slim hope alive that they’ll play against New England on Thursday. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard and running back Wayne Gallman are both in the concussion protocol, which leaves the Giants with a shortage of offensive weapons even if the other two can make it into the lineup.