The Green Bay Packers long have been thought of as a team that embraces the elements of playing outside in November and December as opponents shiver in the cold of Lambeau Field.

But while coach Mike McCarthy attempts to embrace the elements, he also has found plenty of success coming in from the cold. In fact, the Packers are 9-3 in the regular season in dome stadiums since McCarthy took over as coach in 2006. That figures to a .750 winning percentage, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL among teams with eight or more road dome games.

McCarthy's teams, however, have been just average at Mall of America Field, having gone 2-2. The Vikings beat the Packers 30-23 on Oct. 5 of last season in the Metrodome.

"It's loud. I think you definitely adjust the way you may play," McCarthy said of the challenges of playing in the Metrodome. "Some teams do, some teams don't. Really, it's like playing in front of a bad stereo system. You just take a couple extra Advil and go play. It's clearly probably the noisiest place outside the Superdome … I've been in New Orleans where there were a couple games I recall down there being extremely loud. "But it's something that when it's your first time, you definitely take a step back. [Right tackle] Bryan Bulaga is someone we've talked about this week, making sure he's ready to go. We'll blare the stereo real loud [Thursday] and Friday in practice. I know Aaron [Rodgers] is a lot more comfortable. The guys that have played in it now are a lot more comfortable with it and they know what to expect." Rodgers, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Packers' 28-24 victory over the Vikings on Oct. 24, acknowledges playing in the Metrodome is a challenge. He is 0-2 in the building as a starter. "It's tough, because of the kind of crowd they have in the Metrodome and the way the sound echoes off the roof, it's probably the loudest dome that I've played in," Rodgers said. "The key is, any time you play on the road, whether you're outside or inside, is to start fast, hopefully take the crowd out of it a little bit. It's easier said than done up there. We've played some tight games up there and noise is definitely a factor."