A miraculous comeback, a 61-yard heave and a shortness of breath in Ford Field marked the last time Aaron Rodgers played in a dome environment prior to 2016. 

It was dubbed the "Hail Mary Game" and would send tight end Richard Rodgers into Packers lore as somewhat of a folk hero. Good things happen for (Aaron) Rodgers and the Packers when they're playing in a dome, as do they for most quarterbacks.

There's a nonexistent natural weather factor, kicking is a breeze (or lack thereof) and the artificial turf can sometimes benefit the players on the field. Crowd noise, however, can be an obstacle that sways in favor of the home team.

The Packers will be playing in Atlanta, which houses the home Falcons team whose organization was fined $350,000 and had to forfeit their fifth-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft for pumping in fake crowd noise. An embarrassing unfolding of events, to say the least. Nevertheless, it's safe to assume the Packers won't have to worry about an extra octave of screaming in the Georgia Dome.

It tells a different story than the first indoor game the Packers played this year in Minnesota. The Vikings and their historically dominant defense christened the opening of their new home, U.S. Bank Stadium, with a 17-14 win over the visiting Packers and made Rodgers look pedestrian. That's being generous.

Yeah. That crowd noise was probably real. 100 percent real.

Going into Atlanta brings a series of challenges in its own regard. While the Packers will be down three of their top cornerbacks and possibly one of their more efficient edge-rushers in Clay Matthews, they'll be up against Julio Jones. Otherwise known as the NFL's leader in receiving yards.

The Falcons do possess one of the league's youngest linebacker corps, providing a target zone in the middle of the field for Rodgers and company. They've allowed 690 yards over the middle of the field through their first seven games, and while that's a hot spot, the flats and out-routes may be money for the Packers.

Opposing quarterbacks have completed 71 percent of their passes for 1,159 yards when directing their aerial attack towards the right and left sides of the field. Providing a tough outlet for the Falcons' coverage linebackers to keep up in traffic and pursue the ball. If the Packers were to carry over the quick-passing attack similar to what was seen against the Bears last Thursday night, Rodgers and company can be in for a big outing. A big outing that may be a necessity moving forward to jumpstart the offense for the long haul.

Being encased in a dome won't help the Falcons against Rodgers, either. In his career, Rodgers has tossed 40 touchdowns to 10 interceptions for a 109.4 rating when playing in a dome. On the contrary, with Rodgers under center, the Packers are 11-9 in these conditions. A further testament that "quarterback wins" is a mere figment of the casual fan's imagination.

To add onto the flipside of those numbers, his last seven games in a dome have culminated in a 4-3 record, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions - a similar stat-line to what Rodgers currently has in 2016, but with one more game played. By his standards, far from adequate.

The Packers, in present day, have been practicing indoors to prepare for the field surfaces in Atlanta, but not by choice.

"The idea is for us to be out (practicing) on the grass," head coach Mike McCarthy answered to the questionnaires on Friday. "If the weather was better this week, we would've practiced Wednesday and Thursday on the grass and just saved the field turf work for Saturday."

Since taking over as the team's head coach, McCarthy retains a 16-10 record in domed stadiums.

"The game of football was meant to be played on grass, and frankly, it's a better training environment and landscape for the health of your football team."