During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson shed some light on the kind of defense he wants to run.
While Wilson didn’t reveal if the Titans will run a 3-4 or 4-3, he did reveal he wants to have an aggressive defense that blitzes but picks the right spots to do so.
The new defensive coordinator also believes it’s important for the unit to be versatile and multiple,, and the scheme will be built around the talents of his players.
“Football, it’s not about the scheme, it’s about the players,” Wilson said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “So, we have to figure out what they do well, and we’ll put the scheme around them to allow their talents to flourish. I can tell you this about the scheme, and I learned this a long time ago, General George Patton said this: ‘Nobody ever defended anything successfully. You are going to attack, and attack some more.’
“We are going to be an attacking defense. We are going to be violent in our approach. We are going to be smart, we are going to be intelligent, we are never going to compromise for competing, and that is the brand of football we are going to play around here.”
Wilson said the #Titans defense will be multiple and versatile in everything they do.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) February 14, 2024
New #Titans DC Dennard Wilson is big on versatility for DBs. He wants corners that can play inside and outside. Wilson also said he intends to teach and motivate players to go beyond their potential. pic.twitter.com/RzM6zU7qDl
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) February 14, 2024
Wilson’s attack mentality falls in line with some of the coaches he’s worked under, a list that includes Todd Bowles and Gregg Williams, both of whom have the same aggressive approach.
Wilson also named former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher as an influence on him after working under Fisher during their days with the Rams.
#Titans DC Dennard Wilson named Jeff Fisher and Gregg Williams as big influences on his career before naming many others
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) February 14, 2024
Wilson cited effort, trust and communication between players as three important factors in having a successful unit.
“We are going to talk about effort, and the way we play,” Wilson explained. “We are going to talk about having obnoxious communication. We are going to talk about brotherhood, playing as one. A team that fails to connect is a team that fails to win. So, the connection, and the way we play, the way we communicate, the way we jell, that is going to allow the defense to come to life.
“Because when they believe in one another and they trust in one another to execute their assignment and play at a high level, that is when you get outstanding, violent defenses.”
Considering he’s never held a defensive coordinator job before, Wilson will be a play-caller for the first time in his coaching career.
Wilson says he’ll have time to get acclimated during the offseason but feels the lessons he’s learned from working under different coaches over the years has prepared him for the job. He plans on leaning on the experience of the coaching staff around him to help, as well.
“It’s still early in the process, but we have OTAs, we have training camp. As we go through that cycle, you get better and better,” Wilson said, per Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky. “You learn by doing, right? So, you get better on your job; iron sharpens iron. So, we’ll have call-it periods and all that stuff.
“But also, it goes back to what I just said earlier — the people that trained me to get here. And then I can’t mention enough the defensive staff we’ve put together. They’re going to all be a part of it. When we get into game-planning, they’re going to have their own sections. They’re going to be the head coach of their sections, whether it’s third down, two-minute, first and second down, dropback, the run game. So, I’m going to lean on those guys and then when we get into the game, the game-planning is already done. Now it’s about calling it, how you saw it in terms of how the teams attack, their personnel, their tendencies on situational football. And then, as we start to play, we have to adjust to the schemes that they have because they’re going to have new wrinkles. And with the guys we have and the wealth of knowledge that we have in that defensive room, we’ll be able to adjust quickly, play-by-play, quarter-by-quarter, half-by-half.”
For a look at everything Wilson and offensive coordinator Nick Holz had to say during their introductory press conference on Wednesday, we have you covered right here.
