Bye week bodes well for Packers

Updated: Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 5:44 PM CST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 5:44 PM CST

GREEN BAY - The Packers 15-1 season comes with a few perks including home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs and no game in the opening round.

That open week means extra preparation for the players and coaches.

Since Mike McCarthy took over in 2006, that’s been a very good thing.

Green Bay is 7-1 under McCarthy when having a bye week or open date, including last year’s Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh.

The lone loss came in 2008, Aaron Rodgers first year as a starter, when they lost 19-16 in overtime to Tennessee Titans.

Greg Jennings says that the extra preparation time means the magnifying glass gets turned on their team.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the self scout. We don't spend a lot of time on opponents. We spend even more time correcting ourselves and making sure we see our own loop holes and how we can correct them.”

Whether it’s a bye week or not, Jermichael Finley says the attention to detail is what helps separate this team.

“Our coaches detail every aspect of the playbook. We take our time with it and they go out and look at film from practice and back on the field. It's a great week for us to have off.”

To that end, Head Coach Mike McCarthy was excited at his Wednesday press conference to have gotten the chance to get outside and refresh his team on the basics at this late point in the season.

“A huge part of it was fundamentals. The sun was out it was a great fundamental day. Probably the best practice I can remember having this time of year. “

McCarthy added that more time to gameplan is the biggest benefit for the coaches but even more valuable is what this time off means to his players’ bodies.

“If I was to pick what the most important part, it's getting your players healthy.”

James Starks, one of the players who’s been nursing an injury, is definitely enjoying the added time off.

”It's a chance to just heal and get healthy again and go and do what we do best, play football.”

It’s also important to remain focused during this week says Offensive Tackle Marshall Newhouse.

“Obviously guys get back and get healthy and stay sharp and it's nice we've earned the right not to play this week but we also don't want to lose our edge.”