ST. LOUIS - The first sign this wasn't going to be the usual road game in a dome came during the pre-game introductions, when the Packers got nearly as loud an ovation as the host St. Louis Rams.
"Normally when you come out of the tunnel, most teams' (crowds) give you that good boo," receiver Donald Driver said. "But we didn't have any boo at all. The fans were cheering us on the whole game."
It's impossible to know for sure, but perhaps as much as 50 percent of the 66,008 paid attendance on Sunday was cheering for the green and gold in the 33-14 victory at the Edward Jones Dome.
The biggest indication to offensive lineman Mark Tauscher of the split crowd was that the offense didn't have any trouble hearing the snap count or cadence, an expected problem in an indoor stadium.
"This place can be as raucous as the Metrodome," Tauscher said. "Today it was like we had a home game.
"We didn't have to go silent count. We could go and do what we wanted to do from an offensive standpoint, and that's a big advantage, especially when you look at these games at the beginning of the season and you know going into domes is always an extra challenge."
The Packers have a nationwide fan base that is known to show up in opposing stadiums, but the combination of St. Louis' proximity to Wisconsin, the Packers' dynamite season and the Rams' 3-10 record coming in contributed to the turnout.
"Seems like everywhere we go we get our share of fans," quarterback Brett Favre said. "We had a ton down in Dallas, and I'm sure a lot of people who got to come today would not have had the stakes been different. So it was nice to see our fans there, and it was nice for us to win. I have not stood up at this podium too many times after a win. I haven't had real good history here, so this was nice."
{sportsad300}Favre was just 1-2 in St. Louis coming into Sunday, including a disastrous playoff loss in January 2002 that included six interceptions.
He certainly has cured whatever dome troubles ailed him earlier in his career. After beginning his career 10-22 in domed stadiums, Favre has won nine of his last 11 to boost that mark to 19-24.
Dating back to a November 2005 victory in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, the Packers have won six straight games in domes and are 5-0 indoors under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, with two wins apiece at Detroit's Ford Field and Minneapolis' Metrodome prior to Sunday.
Those stadiums both had some boisterous pockets of Packers fans this season, but nothing like what was seen in St. Louis.
"There were a couple times I felt like raising the hands (to pump up the crowd) and would have probably gotten pretty good sound," defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "We had a ton of fans there. It's so great to have them support us. It's been such a fun season, and I'm glad they're along for the ride."
A ride everyone, players and fans alike, hopes will continue for awhile yet.
"It was pretty much a home game for us," linebacker Nick Barnett said. "It was fun. It was fun to see how Packer fans travel, and hopefully we can continue that all the way to Arizona."
