New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson never shies away from big statements, particularly when it comes to calling out his own defenders.
On Thursday, Wilson was still irked at his players' effort in their Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
"We've got to come downhill, and we've got to tackle," Wilson said, via NJ.com. "Last week was one of our worst tackling games, for whatever reason. A few plays got out, especially in the pass game, because of missed tackles.
"And I wasn't happy with our effort running to the ball. We put some stuff on tape that was not characteristic of a New York Giant defense. It's unacceptable, and it will be changed."
The Giants missed 18 tackles on Sunday, per Next Gen Stats. Twelve players missed at least one tackle.
New York started strong, then got boat-raced for 34 straight points before the Saints got conservative, allowing Big Blue to mount a comeback that fell short.
Wilson said the club will fix the tackling and lack of effort by meeting the issue head-on.
"Well, you confront it," he said. "When you're in the meeting room, you show those plays. I look at guys that don't run to the ball, and I call them traitors -- because they're traitors to the defense. And when you have a traitor to the defense, you either have to make adjustments to get him off the field -- or they have to correct their behaviors.
"Last week, we did not on every play run to the ball, and it was unacceptable. The guys know it. This week, when you see them out there, they will be flying around 100 mph with their hair on fire.
"If your effort is bad, if you have a lack of toughness, it gets pointed out. When you have behaviors that are unacceptable, we're not going to accept it. And if you don't change the behaviors, we have to change the players."
In Week 7, Wilson's defense faces a C.J. Stroud-led offense in Houston that has averaged 30-plus points over the past two weeks.
