Giants Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson Calls Players 'Traitors' Over Lack of Effort
Dennard Wilson expressed strong disappointment with his defense's effort in the loss to the Saints, vowing changes.
New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson did not mince words when addressing his unit's performance in the team's recent 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints, calling players who did not give full effort "traitors" to the defense. Wilson specifically cited a lack of consistent effort in running to the ball as unacceptable.
"We confront it like we confront everything," Wilson stated Thursday. "I look at guys that don’t run to the ball and I call them ‘traitors’ because they are traitors to the defense. At the end of the day, when you have a traitor to the defense, you either have to make adjustments to get them off the field and get somebody else on the field, or they have to correct their behavior."
The Giants' defense allowed 34 consecutive points to the Saints, with missed tackles and a general lack of hustle being a focal point of Wilson's criticism. According to Pro Football Focus, the team missed 13 tackles in the game. While Wilson did not name specific players, he highlighted film of players jogging after a long screen pass touchdown by Alvin Kamara as particularly egregious.
"We’re not happy — I’m wasn’t happy — with our effort running to the ball," Wilson said. "We put some stuff on tape that wasn’t characteristic of the New York Giant defense. It’s unacceptable and it will be changed."
Wilson indicated that adjustments will be made to ensure the desired level of effort is displayed on the field moving forward. "Last week was one of those things where we did not — on every play — run to the ball. It was unacceptable. This week, when you see them out there, they will be running around 100 miles per hour."