PITTSBURGH — The Giants once again showed a national television audience what they do best.
When the lights come on, they wilt. When things get tough, they capitulate. When the final tally is added up, they have lost.
So it went on another fruitless and at times embarrassing “Monday Night Football’’ showcase for a team that is growing tiresome in its inability to get out of its own way.
This time, they were in it until a third-quarter meltdown and then flirted with a comeback before succumbing to their sad identity, allowing the Steelers to beat them, 26-18, at Acrisure Stadium.
The offense was a penalty-laden mess, new starting left tackle Chris Hubbard did not exactly build a wall, second-year cornerback Deonte Banks got benched after yet another bad-look deal on the field and Daniel Jones once again could not get his team across the goal line often enough.
The Giants (2-6) remain alone in last place in the NFC East after their third consecutive defeat. This time, they did bust out with a few big plays — pass completions of 43 and 39 yards to Darius Slayton, a 45-yard touchdown run by rookie running back Tyrone Tracy — but too many missteps led to not enough points.
It got ugly when Banks, the 2023 first round pick, was benched in the second quartert after head coach Brian Daboll grew irate after Banks failed to bring down running back Najee Harris in front of the Giants’ bench.