Jarrett to Miss Preseason Opener

As I noted in yesterdays training camp report Dwayne Jarrett didn’t dress for practice yet I did not hear anything regarding an injury. It looked like his left hammy was wrapped but I didn’t get a good look at it and didn’t want to spread that type of false rumor if I wasn’t sure. It’s been confirmed Jarrett won’t play Saturday night against the Giants. Of course I’m bummed he won’t be playing but the positive side is it will give Carter and Colbert more time on the field.

As it turns out all five players that didn’t dress yesterday will not be making the trip to NJ, including Nate Salley. If he wants to gain the confidence of his coaches and teammates he better find a way to get on the field soon. I know you can’t rush an injury but he needs to make an effort.

Besides the WR’s I have a keen interest in the following aspects of the game:

1. Will the Panthers be able to run the ball? The Giants have a pretty good run defense even without Strahan.

2. How will the safeties fare against Shockey and Jacobs? Let’s see if Deke Cooper is a real candidate for the starting FS position.

3. Will the Panthers be able to put pressure on Eli? Do that and the Giants are beatable.

Of course I’m expecting the Panthers to dominate the Giants, at least for the first half. They should be motivated considering the thrashing the Giants put on them last season, the loss that essentially ended their playoff hopes. Without Strahan and Barber the Giants don’t appear to have improved themselves over the off-season but we shall see.

Don’t forget I will be live blogging during the game so get registered and join in. Registration to Cat Scratch Reader is easy, all it takes is a user name, password and email, that’s it.