Giants have gotten used to losing with hope nearly nonexistent

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 fro...