Lots of anxiety for some Packers players, who are just hoping to make the roster

GREEN BAY (WITI) -- The final score of Thursday night's preseason game for the Packers (vs. the Kansas City Chiefs) won't mean a thing as they pursue their hopes of a Super Bowl berth. However, for some Packers players, Thursday night's game will be as big as it gets.

Guys like Aaron Rodgers and Julius Peppers would probably say that January and February are the toughest times for an NFL football player. The two senior members of the Packers know that's when the stakes are at their highest.

However, there are plenty of players for whom this is the toughest time of the year. They are just hoping to make the roster.

"It's impossible to say 'don't worry about it' by me being there before, but to be honest, you can't -- I mean, the thing about the preseason is that it's an opportunity not for just one team, but for all 32. Every team gets the tape. Every team gets to see how you play and how you move, so you  have do to your best out there -- try to keep your head clear and try to make the most of your ability and your opportunity," Packers safety Chris Banjo said.

Chris Banjo was an undrafted free agent who had been cut by the Jaguars when he arrived in Packers camp last year. He proceeded to make the team and play in 16 games.

Adrian Hubbard is an undrafted linebacker from Alabama in this year's camp.

"As a competitor like I am, you have to be available when the coach needs you. When he calls you into a game, you need to produce," Hubbard said.

On Friday night, when the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders in a preseason game, Hubbard played a little bit and made a little bit of a difference, and you almost need to do more than that when you are an undrafted player. The final statistics would say one pass defense -- one special teams tackle for Hubbard.

"I'm doing my job. I'm doing the task that the coach wants me to do. I think that I'm doing the right thing, but you never know. You've got to go back and look at film and look at the little things -- the nuances of your game, and figure out what you can improve on," Hubbard said.

The opportunities to show the coaches what a player has to offer are dwindling. The preseason concludes for the Packers with their fourth and final game on Thursday night. They can have 75 players on their roster for that contest -- and a week later, when they open the regular season at Seattle, they are only allowed to have 53.

"It's important. Just like when you step on the practice field, it's always important when you step out there -- when you're showing people what you can do and that you deserve a spot on the team. The fourth game is exciting because there's probably going to be 22 guys out there the entire game that are fighting and scratching for a roster spot, and it's always a fun game to play in and be a part of," Packers quarterback Matt Flynn said.

The guys in that group would attest to the fact that the stakes are pretty high this time of the year as well.

It is not only Green Bay where the anxiety level is pretty high. Every NFL team is in countdown mode -- so the situation is being repeated in 31 other cities too.