New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson stands by his recent public criticism of his players, stating that he believes many coaches are too hesitant to have difficult conversations.
Wilson called out "traitors" in the unit for a perceived lack of effort following the Giants' 34-27 loss to the Saints in Week 6. He observed a notable shift in performance during the team's subsequent 27-21 overtime victory against the Texans before their bye week. "I think too many coaches these days are scared to have those hard conversations," Wilson said Thursday. "And it goes back to this: What is your relationship with the group? What is your relationship with the player, right? See, if you build a relationship and you have this bond and you have this tight-knit group, you can speak to them in a certain way and identify certain things without attacking them personally. It’s not a personal attack. It’s a behavioral attack."
Wilson expressed frustration with players not running to the ball during the loss to the Saints, a game that saw 13 missed tackles. He felt that publicly addressing the issue was a necessary step, even if it contrasted with the more reserved approach often taken by coaches when speaking with the media.
"I think we get too caught up into not speaking the truth, right? The film doesn’t lie and it never lies," Wilson stated. "And it’s always evidence. It’s the silent tape. And what I said in front of this podium, they’ve heard me say it from the first day they were here. So it’s nothing that they haven’t heard before. It’s not calling out a specific player. It’s calling out a behavior. It’s calling out what we’re not doing collectively. Because at the end of the day, it’s me as well. So, if I let it slip, shame on me. So, it’s about us upholding the standard that we set in that room that we want to exemplify on a daily basis when we go out and play."
Following Wilson's comments, the Giants defense recorded only six missed tackles against the Texans, less than half the previous week's total. "They responded in a great way," Wilson commented. "They responded the way I knew they would respond. Honestly, we talked about watching the tape and seeing ourselves not running to the ball. They’re a proud bunch. I really didn’t have to say much. They knew that they had to come out and they had to run to the ball and play with toughness and physicality, and that’s what we did in the game."