Brian Burns

New York Giants pass-rusher Brian Burns was not happy with his team following Monday's 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"The team needs to grow up," he said, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com.

He wasn't the only one who was frustrated, as defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said, "I think we have to show more passion as a team—or as leaders."

New York is now 2-6 following the latest loss and could find itself playing out the string on a lost season in the near future if things don't quickly turn around after Monday's showing. And it is more of the same for a franchise that is accustomed to this situation.

As Slater noted, the Giants have won two or fewer times at the eight-game mark in seven of the last eight years.

While that may raise questions about head coach Brian Daboll since this is his third year at the helm, Burns said "the coaches can [only] say so much—period. It's the players."

The pass-rusher did his part with five tackles, three quarterback hits and one sack, but the defense still allowed Najee Harris to run for 114 yards and quarterback Russell Wilson to throw for 278 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.

Daniel Jones also threw a late interception that ended the Giants' comeback hopes after he previously lost a fumble.

There is some reason for optimism, as rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers looks like a star in the making. Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. also impressed with 145 yards and a touchdown on the ground against the Steelers.

However, Jones has been inconsistent at best and is now 3-11 as a starter during the last two seasons. He is coming off a torn ACL that cut his 2023 campaign short, but he didn't exactly look the part of franchise quarterback last year prior to the injury.

Perhaps the best thing for the Giants' long-term outlook would be finishing with a favorable draft pick and using it on their next potential franchise quarterback even though Jones is signed through the 2026 season.

In the meantime, the players will look to spark a turnaround in 2024, and Burns believes it will take some necessary growth to do just that.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen took centerstage for the third episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.

This week, fans saw the official end of running back Saquon Barkley's tenure with the New York Giants. Big Blue ultimately never made a counteroffer to Barkley's deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, who gave the veteran a three-year, $37.75 million contract ($26 million fully guaranteed) that could be worth up to $46.75 million.

Barkley was once the Giants' superstar after going second overall in the 2018 NFL draft. He largely fared well with Big Blue when healthy, making two Pro Bowls and finishing with 7,311 total yards and 47 touchdowns. And he was also a popular star as well, one that Giants owner John Mara clearly didn't want to see go, let alone to the hated rival Eagles.

But the Giants have the NFL's worst record over the past 10 years (32-67-1) and are coming off a 6-11 season. The team has plenty of needs, and paying a running back $26 million guaranteed is a luxury Big Blue can't afford. And so Barkley is out, and former Buffalo Bill and Houston Texan Devin Singletary is in.

Fans reacted to seeing the Barkley drama unfold on screen and specifically noted the reaction from Mara, who clearly had an emotional connection to a player that meant so much to the franchise since arriving in 2018.

So Barkley is out, but Brian Burns is in. The Giants landed the prized pass-rusher from the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 second-round draft choice (No. 39), a 2025 fifth-round selection and a fifth-round pick swap. Big Blue then signed Burns to a five-year, $141 million contract with $87.5 million guaranteed.

The Hard Knocks cameras captured Schoen negotiating with Panthers general manager Dan Morgan. The two notably go back to their days with the Buffalo Bills (they overlapped from 2018-2010) when both worked in the franchise's front office.

Schoen ultimately got the deal done.

The fourth episode of the five-part series will debut on Tuesday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can catch it on HBO and stream it on Max.