Under Ron Wolf in the 1990s, the Green Bay Packers were built for December slugfests on sloppy fields, where three-quarter-inch cleats slowed down the game and pounding the ball on the ground was vital to a team's success.
Flash forward to 2011 and the Packers are a different kind of team, built by general manager Ted Thompson to excel on the fast playing surfaces that have proliferated throughout the NFL and carpet every domed stadium.
The Packers have a pass-first, spread-the-field offense. They run the ball primarily to keep defenses honest and set up play-action. Their secondary might be the fastest in the NFL. Mike McCarthy constantly stresses tempo and coaches his teams to practice and play fast.
In short, the team functions best, particularly on offense, when there are the fewest speed bumps in terms of playing surface and weather.
"I know we play in cold weather, but this offense is kind of built for speed and we've had some success in domes because of it," said receiver Donald Driver. "I think more than anything, it's just how Ted built the team."
That's why the Packers are practically salivating at the prospect of playing Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, where the retractable roof will be closed.
"All I can do is smile," said receiver Greg Jennings, who was doing exactly that.
The Packers are 2-2 in domed stadiums this year, but one of the losses was by four points at Ford Field in Detroit, where quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the game in the first half with a concussion. The other was a three-point loss at Atlanta; the Packers went back to the Georgia Dome seven weeks later and won by 27 in the NFC divisional round (48-21).
Green Bay totaled 860 yards in the two games in Atlanta and crushed the Minnesota Vikings, 31-3, at the Metrodome. In the four dome games, the Packers outscored their opponents, 99-51.
"I don't know if it's because we have a lot of fast guys," said receiver Jordy Nelson. "It's just in a dome, everything is perfect. The field is perfect, the weather's perfect and we play fast. And playing fast isn't just running a 4.3 or a 4.4 (40-yard dash). It's a lot of other things, too.
"We don't have to worry about our footing and we feel comfortable in there and everything just caters to the offense, especially the kind of offense we have. We feel real comfortable in domes and I think it shows."
Though the Packers are considered a cold-weather team because they play their home games at Lambeau Field, in reality only a couple games each season are played in bad weather.
When the weather does turn, the team goes inside to practice in the Don Hutson Center, which is for all practical purposes a domed environment with an artificial surface (FieldTurf). The outdoor practice fields are surfaced with DD GrassMaster, a natural turf reinforced with synthetic fibers.
In 2007, the team installed DD GrassMaster in Lambeau Field, where 20 million fibers are stitched into Kentucky bluegrass, creating a fast one-inch surface that is about as close to artificial turf as can be.
Gone are the days when Lambeau had to be re-sodded days before playoff games and the newly laid turf gave way beneath the players' feet.
So, over the last decade, the Packers have by design morphed into a team accustomed to playing and practicing on fast surfaces. Factor in the controlled environment in a dome and all the better.
"The type of offense we are, I think we can be more explosive in a dome," Nelson said. "We're explosive in cold weather, but not as explosive. On a dome surface, you're faster, quicker."
The team's productivity indoors starts with Rodgers, who grew up in northern California and played at Cal.
A few weeks ago, Rodgers was asked if he preferred playing in domes over playing at Lambeau. He playfully chastised the reporter before answering the question the only way he could: Green Bay was home, and he loved Lambeau.
But Rodgers has never made it a secret that all else being equal, he prefers to play in the sterile environment of a dome, where wind, temperature and precipitation are not factors.
"I know Aaron likes to throw the ball indoors," McCarthy said. "If it was up to him, we'd practice in the Hutson Center year-round."
As a starter, Rodgers has a 7-6 record in domes, including playoffs. He has completed 285 of 415 passes (68.7%) for 3,642 yards, with 27 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also has rushed for 269 yards and seven touchdowns.
In four dome games this year, he has completed 86 of 113 (76.1%) for 1,057 yards, with eight touchdowns and one interception. He threw for 366 yards in the playoff game in Atlanta, 344 in the first game in the Georgia Dome and 301 in the Metrodome.
The Steelers have taken notice.
"Oh, man, I go back to the days of St. Louis when they had the 'Greatest Show on Turf,'" said linebacker James Farrior. "Those guys look amazing on turf. The game I watched a lot was the Atlanta playoff game. They were outstanding. Rodgers was almost perfect that day so it's definitely going to be a little tougher defending those guys on turf."
The Packers have functioned well in domes even when Rodgers has had to go to a silent count because of crowd noise. They have been successful spreading the field with Driver, Jennings, Nelson and James Jones.
"We have four great receivers and a great quarterback," said fullback Korey Hall. "If he can get them the ball in all areas of the field, when you have five guys in an offense like that and distribute the ball like that, they're going to be tough to beat inside."
The Packers aren't slouches on grass. They beat the New York Giants and Chicago Bears in the final two regular-season games, both played in cold weather at Lambeau. In the playoffs, they beat the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bears on the road, the latter on the notoriously poor grass surface at Soldier Field.
But they clearly relish playing Super Bowl XLV indoors.
"I mean, you go from playing in Chicago in late January, to Dallas and they close you inside a dome," Jennings said. "Obviously the surface is going to be perfect. The atmosphere is going to be unmatched. It's going to be exciting."
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