PITTSBURGH — Those who have been around might not think this way, precisely because they have been around and realize, sadly, that it does not always get any better.
The here and now for the Giants is the familiarity of more of the same.
They are 2-5 after seven games and the longest-tenured Giants players know the feeling all too well.
A team winning only two of its first seven games has made the playoffs only 15 percent of the time over the past five seasons — and that is not even front and center in the minds of the Giants.
They are trying to figure out how to go about winning one game and making an argument for them doing so Monday night against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium is close to an open-and-shut case to the contrary.
“The message is, why not?’’ nose tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “Why can’t we not streak? Why can’t we not go on a run? That’s the belief factor that the leaders and the players have in here. I think we’re close. I think, in times like this, you got to grow even closer and that’s what we’re doing. We’re having good days at practice. We’re coming out here competing. Having good days in the meeting and meeting extra. I don’t think it’s pulling us apart.’’
Lawrence, quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Darius Slayton are all products of the 2019 draft and they have been Giants longer than any other players in the building.
This is par for the course for them.
As rookies, that trio started off 2-5 and finished 4-12 with head coach Pat Shurmur.
In 2020, that trio started 1-6 and finished 6-10 with head coach Joe Judge.
In 2021, that trio started 2-5 and finished 4-13 with Judge.
In 2023, that trio started 2-5 with head coach Brian Daboll and finished 6-11.
The only change in the cloudy weather for the Giants and this group came in 2022, when that trio started 6-1 in Daboll’s first season and ended up 9-7-1 before winning one playoff game.
And so, the narrow chances of a team extricating itself from an early mess is not so hot a topic in the Giants locker room.
Just last season, the Packers were 2-5 and finished 9-8, clinching a playoff berth on the final weekend.
And then, riding the development of young quarterback Jordan Love, they thrashed the Cowboys in an NFC wild-card game.
Someone who came in from that turnaround in Green Bay offers some much-needed optimistic perspective.
“I hate to try to compare the two things, but last year the team I was on, we were 2-5 at this point of the year, as well, just like we are here,’’ said Giants guard Jon Runyan Jr., who was with the Packers the past four years. “Both scenarios, last two seasons, it’s definitely not where you want to be. But this doesn’t mean that you’re dead, the season’s over. There’s still a lot to play for.
“It only takes seven to eight wins to get a playoff spot in this league. I think we’re definitely capable of doing that the rest of the way. It just comes back to … making sure everybody keeps the faith. We have a lot of really strong veteran players, veteran presence in this locker room, so I know that we’re going to do our best to keep everybody, the younger guys, everybody else in high spirits.’’
There is little doubt spirits are not soaring.
Jones sounds as if he is still smarting from being removed from last week’s 28-3 loss to the Eagles by Daboll early in the fourth quarter, even though Daboll immediately afterward stated Jones remains the starting quarterback.
Rookie receiver Malik Nabers missed two games in concussion protocol, returned last week, caught four passes, said he was open more than that and he and Jones had a discussion about it.
Second-year cornerback Deonte Banks was called out by teammates and his position coach for a glaring lack of hustle last week when he did not attempt to get to Jalen Hurts on the sideline.
None of this seems promising for the Giants.