NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Last year’s miserable Titans defense was simply too passive.

And there came a time at which defensive coordinator Jerry Gray came to realize the team wouldn’t fare any worse by being more aggressive.

When the defense started to try to dictate more, it played better -- with the exception of a 55-7 thrashing at Green Bay.

Gray certainly would have continued that direction no matter what in 2013. But when Mike Munchak hired Gregg Williams as senior assistant/ defense in February, it was all but assured.

This defense will be more talented because its added players like Bernard Pollard, George Wilson, Sammie Hill and Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

But an attitude adjustment may be as important as the personnel changes.

The defenses Williams has coordinated or overseen as head coach haven’t always put up great numbers, but they’ve typically been aggressive and sought to dictate things.

“We attack,” he said Monday in a media session with local press.

Williams said he wants the players to feel a real ownership of the defense.

Players have spoken fondly of Williams in short order. He said while the team has one message trickling down from Munchak, that some guys respond better to different voices than others, and now he’s simply adding another voice to a united mix.

“Aggressive is how we’re going to be and never, ever, ever apologize for competing,” Williams said. “We want to be as attacking as we can on defense and we want to be able to set the tone at all times and so our offense can play off of that, too.

“We’ll play exactly how we have to play from the toughness standpoint, from an effort standpoint. Those are the things we’ve talked about doing.”