Dennard Wilson Calls Giants Who Don't Hustle 'Traitors to the Defense'

Oct 22

3 min read

Updated: 12 minutes ago

Published Oct 22, 2026, 12:11 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said Thursday that players who don't run to the football are "traitors to the defense."
The Saints ran 38 times for 175 yards in New Orleans' 34-27 Week 6 win.
Wilson said the issue has been addressed before Sunday's game against the Texans in Houston.

Dennard Wilson did not soften his review of the Giants' Week 6 performance. The defensive coordinator said Thursday that players who fail to run to the football are traitors to the unit. He called some of what he saw against the Saints "unacceptable."

The message lands three days before the 3-2-1 Giants visit Houston for their final game before the bye.

Big Blue Film Room shared the quote on X: Wilson calls players who don't run to the football "traitors, traitors to the defense."

The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported that Wilson vowed the issue has been addressed and that players will be "flying around 100 mph" this week.

What Dennard Wilson Said About the Saints Game

The complaint was about pursuit. Duggan reported that Wilson was unhappy with the effort running to the ball "in some instances" against New Orleans. Newsday's Evan Barnes reported that Wilson called it one of the defense's worst tackling games.

Wilson said some of what the defense did "was not characteristic of a New York Giant defense," per SNY. "It's unacceptable and it will be changed."

"If you don't change the behaviors, we have to change the players," Wilson said, per Duggan.

The language is not new. Before training camp, Wilson told the New York Post that a player who lacks effort is "basically a traitor to your team, and your teammates."

By the Numbers: The Saints Game Swing

Measure	Result	Context
Saints rushing, Week 6	38 for 175 (4.6)	vs. the Giants
Saints rushing, Weeks 4-5	36 for 105 (2.9)	Their two previous games
Saints run	34-0	After a 10-0 Giants lead
Giants' closing run	17-0	Final 11 minutes

Source: Giants.com (Week 6 instant analysis).

Why Effort Defines Dennard Wilson's Giants Defense

The Giants held New Orleans to three punts and a missed field goal on its first four drives, according to Giants.com. The Saints then scored 34 unanswered points.

New Orleans had averaged 2.9 yards per carry in its previous two games. Against the Giants, it averaged 4.6.

The caveat is context. The Giants committed four turnovers, including a kickoff fumble that set up a touchdown before halftime, so the defense often worked on a short field.

Across the season, the effort has shown up late in games. The Giants entered Week 6 off a tie and two last-second wins.

They then closed with 17 straight points against the Saints, as we covered in Giants vs Saints Final Score: Comeback Falls Short in 34-27 Loss.

The Giants Defense Gets Its Test in Houston

The Giants visit the Texans at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Houston has won two straight after an 0-4 start, per Giants.com.

Wilson's aggressive approach has been a weekly storyline, as detailed in Giants Blitz Plan vs Saints: Dennard Wilson Expected to Send the House. He did not name any player or announce any lineup changes.

Our Take: Dennard Wilson's Defense Has Played Hard

I said back in September, "Props to Dennard Wilson. His defense is playing hard." Most weeks, that has been the identity of this defense.

In October, I wrote that the Giants show consistent fight throughout the whole game and don't let a bad start ruin the rest of it. I credited coach Harbaugh for a lot of that heart.

This roster could have given up after losing its starting quarterback in Week 2. We've seen Giants teams do that before. Instead, the resilience has been noticeable.

That's why the Saints game stands out. New Orleans ran for 175 yards and scored 34 straight points. The test Sunday is simple: whether the pursuit and tackling look like this defense at its best again.

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