FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With Sterling Shepard in the concussion protocol for the second time this season, rookie receiver Darius Slayton is going to get extensive playing time as his role grows exponentially. Slayton played 45 of the 69 offensive snaps in the loss to the Vikings and caught four of the five passes thrown his way, including a 35-yard touchdown grab.

“I think he’s getting better each and every week,’’ veteran receiver Golden Tate said. “We have a lot of confidence in him being in early, late in the game when things need to happen. He’s impressed me for sure and we want him to keep being him. We brought him here to make plays and to use that speed. If he keeps doing that I think he’s going to play in this league for a long time.’’

The young players on the Giants roster have not done much winning the past few years but that does not mean they are unaccustomed to football success.

For instance, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson won a national championship in college and, playing for Alabama, has a certain sense what the Patriots confront each week as the Giants on Thursday night face the defending Super Bowl champions.

“I feel when I played at ’Bama we got everybody’s best game,’’ Tomlinson said. “I feel like it was a challenge for everybody just to come and play us. I guess you could say we’re the top dog Alabama so everybody wanted to knock us off the pedestal.’’

The Patriots are familiar with perching on that pedestal.

Tom Brady has been sacked only seven times in 187 drop-backs and defenses for decades know how difficult it is to get him to the ground with the ball in his hand.

“He’s got one of the quickest release times in the NFL, I heard one of the quickest release times ever,’’ rookie LB Oshane Ximines said. “We’re aware of that and what we do to try and combat that is get our hands up when we can’t get there and try to affect the passing game that way.’’

Earlier in the week, with Saquon Barkley’s status for the game not yet certain, Patriots coach Bill Belichick knew what he was hoping for.

“He’s an outstanding player,’’ Belichick said on Monday. “We haven’t faced him and I hope we don’t.’’

Belichick, a defensive mastermind, made the challenge sound daunting.

“He can do it all,’’ Belichick said. “He’s got great power, speed, they use him well in the passing game. He’s very hard, obviously, to tackle in the open field. Hard to tackle anywhere. Good vision, good quickness. He can play in space, he’s elusive, he’s got power. He’s as good as any back we’ve seen on film.’’