NFL

Makeshift Giants line has tough task in Kansas City

No contest.

That appeared to be the way to handicap last Sunday’s matchup featuring the explosive Giants passing attack and the heavily depleted Panthers secondary.

Well, it was no contest, but not the way the Giants envisioned.

This week, the winless Giants are battered and beaten down on an offensive line that allowed seven sacks in their dismal 38-0 loss in Carolina. They likely will have to put on the field three players with a combined four NFL starts against the unbeaten Chiefs — the team that happens to lead the league with 15 sacks, led by outside Justin Houston with an NFL-high 7 ¹/₂. Inexperience up front amid the cacophony that is the Arrowhead Stadium roar — the loudest environs in the league this side of Seattle — seems to be a toxic mix for the Giants, who won’t be able to hear and may not be able to block what’s coming at them.

No contest, right?

This sort of hostile environment calls for cool heads and sturdy bodies, but the winless Giants are going to have to go without right guard Chris Snee (hip) or center David Baas (neck). Both veterans missed practice on Thursday for the second straight day, and their availability for Sunday’s game in serious doubt.

Baas did not officially declare himself out, but he might as well have as he described his situation.

“I reinjured it pretty good in the fourth quarter last game,’’ Baas said. “You want to be out there, but you want to be smart. It’s something I definitely don’t want to mess with too much because, obviously, if I do, it’s going to keep me out for a really long time.’’

Sources said Snee needs rest to quiet down his non-surgically repaired hip.

“If Baas doesn’t play and Snee doesn’t play and now you’re going into Arrowhead Stadium, that place is going to be so loud,’’ former Giants center and current NFL Network analyst Shaun O’Hara told The Post. “If Baas isn’t at center and Snee isn’t in there to make the calls in the silent count, that’s going to be tough.’’

Tough might only scratch the surface. The left side of the line should be intact with Will Beatty at tackle and Kevin Boothe at guard, although Beatty is coming off a terrible game, allowing three sacks to the Panthers after giving up just three sacks the entire 2012 season.

Now Beatty gets Tamba Hali, who has 14 career multi-sack games. Jim Cordle likely will move in at center for Baas, James Brewer likely will start for Snee at right guard and rookie Justin Pugh will remain at right tackle.

Cordle never has started an NFL game and Brewer has one career start, in the season-opener at Dallas. Pugh, with three NFL starts, suddenly is the pillar of experience on the right side and he, like almost everyone else, is coming off a rough outing.

And now, Pugh gets Justin Houston, who pulverized the Eagles last week with 4 ¹/₂ sacks.

There is no doubt the Giants are going to have to make some serious adjustments because the starting five linemen are not going to be able to handle their own business.

“You’re called to go, you got to go,’’ Beatty said. “For them I pray everyone’s mind is set, that we don’t look at the negative and the past and allow it to affect our future.’’

Clearly, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is going to have to devise a blocking scheme heavy on help from the tight ends and the running backs, or else this could be a jailbreak.

O’Hara, who was around Gilbride for seven years, said he believes Gilbride knows the answer.

“He’ll say we’re going to line up in bunch formation to the right and we’re going to crack on that defensive end the first play of the game,’’ said O’Hara, who also works the Giants postgame show on the team’s website. “And the second play of the game we’re going to give him a screen and the third play we’re going to give him a draw. We’re going to make him think about all these different things and slow down his pass rush.

“And then we’re going to put a tight end over there and we’re going to chip, and then we’re going to put a running back over there and we’re going to chip.’’

Going in, it looks like no contest.