After a Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson made it clear he was not interested in soft language about what he saw from his defense.
New York gave up 175 rushing yards in the defeat, and Wilson said Thursday that the effort level bothered him more than anything else. “I wasn't happy with our effort running to the ball,” Wilson told reporters Thursday, according to SNY. “We put some stuff on tape that was not characteristic of a New York Giant defense, and it's unacceptable, and it will be changed.”
Wilson went even further when talking about players who weren’t getting to the ball. “I look at guys that don't run to the ball, and I call them 'traitors' because they're 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, you have to get somebody else on the field, or they have to correct their behaviors.”
The Giants' defense was beaten badly on the ground, but the damage on the scoreboard was just as ugly. New Orleans piled up a season-high 34 points, and the Saints were up by 24 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter before New York made it interesting late and cut it to one score.
The run defense has been a problem for a while. In 2025, the Giants ranked last in EPA/designed rush and 31st in success rate, according to TruMedia. Under Wilson in his first season as defensive coordinator, that area has barely moved, with New York currently sitting 31st in yards per carry allowed.
Wilson said the message this week has been direct, and he expects a sharper response. “Last week was one of those things where we did not, on every play, run to the ball, and it was unacceptable,” he added.
“And the guys know it. This week, when you see them out there, they will be flying around 100 miles per hour with their hair on fire.”
The Giants are 3-2-1 and still lead the NFC East after six games. They host the Houston Texans, who are 2-4, on Sunday before heading into their bye week.
J.J. McCarthy, who came on for Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss, is set to make his first start with New York.
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