The tape tells all for Packers players

Updated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 5:58 PM CST
Published : Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 5:54 PM CST

Self scouting is a term we’ve heard a lot from this year’s Packers players.

It’s a term that means critiquing your own team as if preparing to play a game against yourself and identifying team and individual weaknesses.

While what’s seen on tape isn’t always pretty the players know what they find will fuel the greater good.

Even Pro-Bowlers like Greg Jennings are looking to learn in these sessions.

“In reality it’s what you've put on film and when I looked at mine it was more of a self reality check like I can't put that on film and need to so some thing differently and approach the game differently.”

"You've got to live up to yours, make the next play and just bounce back, added fellow Wide Receiver Randall Cobb."

A Super Bowl Championship and 15-1 record the following season don’t come by accident. NFL players are known for watching copious amounts of film, but the Packers dedication to watching tape is second to none according to several players who’ve spent time in other locker rooms.

One of those players, Defensive Tackle Ryan Pickett shares why watching film is so important.

"That's why you watch film is to see the mistakes you made so you can correct them. That's been a big part of the game. Being able to go back and see what you did better and that's why we do tape so hard.”

According to James Jones, part of the Packers high powered offensive attack, it can help the team correct mistakes that limit their big play potential.

“It's important because we can always get better. We focus on ourselves because we feel like if somebody stops us we always give credit to the defense we're playing but most of the time it's something we did.”

Besides watching tape on themselves, the Packers had the opportunity to watch game tape of themselves playing the Giants earlier in the season, which Jermichael Finley says can be an extra valuable tool.

"I go back and watch our game film. I don't watch the Falcons or no one because they're going to play us different.”

Head Coach Mike McCarthy agrees that the team likely won’t see many new plays installed by the Giants, instead their counterparts will taking a close look at the tape of the 38-35 game from earlier this season.

“They'll pay more attention to the things we haven't done very well as far as looks and concepts and so forth and we spent a lot of time on that last week on the self scout, emphasizing all three phases of the game.”

Film study can be a great tool but the game will still be won on the field on Sunday.