EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants go back to work against the visiting San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, hoping to stop a string of four consecutive ugly performances.

How ugly? New York has officially taken up residence at or near the bottom of the league in practically every defensive statistical category.

“When you watch it on film, no, I am not surprised,” safety Antrel Rolle said of the defense’s performance.

“The film never lies. I don’t discredit any opponent, but it is more so us than what the opponent is throwing at us. It is more so us paying attention to detail and transferring what we learned in practice, and transferring it over to the field.”

The problems have been numerous, but perhaps none more glaring than the Giants’ inability to shut down the run. Last week, New York was gashed to the tune of 350 yards by the Seahawks, who not only had success on the edges but up the gut as well.

In their last four games, the Giants have allowed an average of 201.75 rushing yards to opponents.

The breakdowns have been many, but according to the players, the way to stop it is simple.

“Everyone doing their job, each man,” Rolle said. “You have to be selfish at this point. When I say selfish, selfish in a point of you can’t worry about a guy next to you. Every man just has to go out there and do his job; do his assignment the best he can. When you get 11 guys doing it, you are going to have an effective defense.

“We can’t get to high and we can’t get too low,” linebacker Spencer Paysinger said. “For us, it’s just going out there and having one play at a time and putting last week ahead of us.”

How?

“Just simplifying. Not having other players having to worry about what another player is doing,” Paysinger said.

“Just have everyone be accountable for what they have to do. Some players have been trying to do the next man’s job instead of worrying about their job. It all comes down to trust. You have to trust that I know where the safeties are going to be, where the defensive ends are going to be. Worry about your job.”

As for the coaching aspect of things, Coughlin said there will be no changes in the coaching structure regarding the defensive play calling responsibilities currently held by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

So what changes does he plan to make to get his defense back on track?

“You can always adjust what you do,” he said, referencing the scheme. “You begin camp with a lot of versatility and flexibility with the idea that you can tap into certain things throughout the course of the way, so I don’t see that as an issue.

“The idea of playing what you play better, what your home base is and how you do it, there are some teams that don’t change a thing. (The defense) lines up the same way every week and do a very good job of it. There are subtle changes, some of which you may not see or recognize, but there are subtle changes based on the opponent.”

That’s all well and good, but the bottom line is — and Coughlin realizes it — that his players need to perform better.

“Play better. Play better,” Coughlin said. “It is the number one goal defensively every week. It is the same thing. Stop the run. Obviously, we haven’t done a very good job of that, but hopefully we will put a good plan together and the players will do a good job with it and, perhaps, we can do a better job.

“(The 49ers) are going to run. That is their deal. They are going to set things up with the run. You have to be very, very good and very, very strong. We need turnovers. We need field position. We need all the things we always talk about.”

NOTES: RB Michael Cox (fractured leg) was placed on injured reserve. … RB Orleans Darkwa was signed by the Giants off the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. … CB Josh Victorian was signed to the practice squad. … Among those who did not practice Wednesday were RB Peyton Hillis (concussion) and DT Cullen Jenkins (calf). … TE Daniel Thomas (neck) was limited in practice.