How will Panthers' defense do?

While lots of attention will be focused on Carolina's offense when the Panthers open the 2009 preseason at the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football," I'm more interested in what their defense looks like.

The Panthers have a new defensive coordinator, a new emphasis on running to the ball at all costs and will be playing (at least for awhile) a Giants team that dismantled Carolina last season on the ground. As LB Na'il Diggs said Thursday: "It's kind of like a new car. I'm getting ready to drive my new car out on the street and see how it performs."

Diggs says the Panthers defense will be more "explosive" than last year. We'll see about that, but this will be a nice first test.

Meanwhile, I wrote about reserve DT George Hypolite today, who jokes that "I'm a football player first, so I must be a meathead." If you read a little more about Hypolite, you'll realize that's far from true.

And a reminder that I've just begun posting to Twitter if you're one of those who tweet: Twitter.com/scott_fowler