Oh, and the Packers were playing in the first regular-season game in the Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium. Plus, Green Bay’s makeshift line had to face a defensive front that stayed fresh with constant substitutions.

”That’s all part of the game plan,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. ”… That’s the NFL. That’s football.”

Short-handed Green Bay faced a big early deficit, just like in last season’s NFC championship game, and its comeback attempt fell short in Sunday night’s 34-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Devonta Freeman ran for 84 yards and two touchdowns and cornerback Desmond Trufant opened the second half by scoring on a fumble return for Atlanta (2-0).

The Falcons made a strong statement that they again will be a factor in the NFC following their 44-21 NFC championship game victory over the Packers last season. It was a successful regular-season debut for Atlanta’s $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the new stadium’s first event with its retractable roof open.

It was more forgettable for the Packers. Green Bay (1-1) lost receivers Jordy Nelson (quad) and Randall Cobb (shoulder) while playing the full game without regular tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Backup tackle Kyle Murphy and Justin McCray, listed as the backup at center and right guard, filled in at tackle.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his play-calling ”changed a little bit.”

”They just haven’t been in those spots before for us,” Rodgers said of the fill-in linemen. ”A loud environment, first time for those guys. … We had a couple mistakes, false starts and stuff, but overall I think those guys did well.”

Ty Montgomery ran for 35 yards, including a touchdown, and had 75 yards receiving with another touchdown for Green Bay. Rodgers’ top target was Davante Adams, who had eight catches for 99 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown .

Trufant intercepted a pass from Rodgers late in the first half to set up Matt Ryan’s 3-yard scoring pass to Tevin Coleman for a 24-7 halftime lead, then delivered again on the second play after halftime.

Rodgers lost the ball when hit by Vic Beasley Jr. Fumble or incomplete pass? Instead of waiting for a ruling, Trufant picked up the loose ball and ran 15 yards for the touchdown. The touchdown call stood when the replay didn’t conclusively show a forward pass.

”A big play by him with the interception at the end of the half,” Quinn said, ”then a smart play to start the second half on the forced fumble.”

Here are some other takeaways from the game:

RAISE THE ROOF: The retractable roof was closed for two preseason games, as well as three MLS Atlanta United games and two college football games. The team’s first open-air home game since 1991 went smoothly – even though the air conditioning at the Georgia Dome was missed.

”It felt pretty cool,” said Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu. ”It was kind of hot, but we’re in good shape so it didn’t affect us.”

COMMISSIONER VISITS: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was on hand for the pregame ribbon-cutting ceremony also attended by Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Blank cut the big red ribbon.

300 AND COUNTING: Rodgers completed 33 of 50 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. His second scoring pass, a 1-yarder to Montgomery in the fourth quarter, was the 300th of his career. He threw the shovel pass with his left hand , making the milestone more memorable.

Asked if he would have ever thought he’d reach the milestone with a left-handed toss, Rodgers said ”No, I didn’t, but they all count.”

INJURIES: Beasley, the 2016 NFL sacks leader, left the game with a hamstring injury. The Falcons also lost defensive end Courtney Upshaw with an ankle injury. Also, right tackle Ryan Schrader suffered a concussion on Atlanta’s first touchdown drive.

BIG PENALTY: McCarthy drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the first half. He said he was penalized for pressing officials for an explanation on a key offensive pass interference call against tight end Martellus Bennett. The penalty on Bennett negated a 36-yard pass to Randall Cobb.

”I didn’t get any clarification,” McCarthy said.

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The Packers were considered a likely Super Bowl contender in the preseason. They look like a Super Bowl contender now going into the divisional round game on Sunday against Dallas.

In between, the middle of the season resembled a roller-coaster ride. But the Packers are peaking at the right time.

They haven’t lost since falling to 4-6 following a 42-24 defeat to Washington in Week 11. Just like other teams, Green Bay had to make adjustments after losing key players.

They got healthier on defense. They have quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is playing perhaps the best football of his career .

Through the ups and downs, McCarthy’s confidence didn’t waver, even as some fans took to social media to question his job security following a four-game skid. There were no apparent outbursts in the locker room, no rash decisions.

”I’m not into shock and awe, or a torch-the-landscape-type person. I’m a builder, I’m a developer. I’ve said that since the first day I arrived here,” McCarthy said on Nov. 14 , the day after a 47-25 loss at Tennessee. ”You build a program, culture is what makes it go, you have to invest in that culture every single day, and that’s my big-picture focus.”

The steady leadership made an impact, left tackle David Bakhtiari said.

”I think he stayed true to who he was, and we stayed true to who we are,” Bakhtiari said on Monday when asked about how the culture developed by McCarthy aided the team’s rebound.

”It got rough, you know? With everyone outside, all the outside noise. We just understood that it’s about us. It’s about everyone in here. We know what we’re capable of,” Bakhtiari added. ”Let’s go do what we do, don’t worry about them.”

Bakhtiari has been to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Green Bay. The Packers have been to the postseason eight straight years – the Patriots are the only other team to do so – and in nine of McCarthy’s 11 years overall in Titletown.

Green Bay won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. The team hasn’t had a losing record since going 6-10 in 2008, Rodgers’ first year as starting quarterback.

Rodgers has called criticism of McCarthy ”ridiculous,” citing the high standards that the Packers have set for themselves through the annual success.

”I think if anything after the Washington game, he became even more of a players’ coach. He was even more positive and listened even more, and just kept encouraging us that we were close to kind of getting over the hump and starting to win games,” Rodgers said last week.

”So he took some crap from everybody, but he stayed the course for us in the meeting room and the locker room.”

On the field, McCarthy turned to former receiver Ty Montgomery to help fill the void in the backfield left by Eddie Lacy’s season-ending ankle injury in October. The return of tight end Jared Cook from injury gave Rodgers another option in the passing game in the second half of the season.

”We had to fine-tune our game plan, had to find our rhythm with the people that we had, with the guys that were stepping up,” center Corey Linsley said. ”We found our rhythm, we found what works.”

Now the Packers might have to make a major adjustment again if top receiver Jordy Nelson can’t return against Dallas from a rib injury.

But they also rallied without him to defeat the New York Giants in an NFC wild-card game on Sunday, the Packers’ seventh straight win going back to the regular season.

”I think it’s what makes it so good,” Bakhtiari said about the team’s run. ”We know what adversity is.”

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They’ve lost three straight games to fall under .500 . The defense has crumbled. Injuries are mounting on the line in the pass-heavy offense.

McCarthy vowed Monday that mistakes will be addressed, and plans tweaked. He is confident that his message is getting through to players, and that the Packers, in part, must respond better to adversity.

Overall, the Packers have been a success with a record of 116-67-1 in McCarthy’s 11 seasons. They’ve made the playoffs seven straight seasons, with five division titles and a Super Bowl victory in the 2010 campaign.

But since winning the first six games of the 2015 season, Green Bay is 9-12, including the playoffs.

McCarthy, in part, referred to his track record when asked what kind of messaging he uses to make sure that the uncharacteristic losing doesn’t affect the Packers’ culture as they prepare for Sunday night’s game at Washington.

”Well, I mean, let’s just state the facts: I’m a highly successful NFL head coach. With that, I’ve never looked at the ride to this point as smooth … To me, it’s always bumpy and to me that’s the joy of it,” McCarthy said.

”Really, what you did last year or 2010, as we know, doesn’t factor. … To me, you have to stay in tune with the now. Obviously, people outside of our room don’t feel really good about the now. Personally, I enjoy these type of moments,” he added. ”This is about our team and I trust and believe in what we do every day.”

He isn’t into dramatic midseason shake-ups.

”I’m not into shock and awe, or (a) torch the landscape-type person. I’m a builder, I’m a developer. I’ve said that since the first day I arrived here,” McCarthy said. ”You build a program, culture is what makes it go, you have to invest in that culture every single day, and that’s my big picture focus.”

A popular pick to return to the Super Bowl, the Packers remain in the playoff picture, just a game back of Detroit and Minnesota in the mediocre NFC North.

In the short term, the Packers are focusing on fixing flaws exposed in the 47-25 loss to Tennessee on Sunday that dropped them to 4-5 and was likely the low point of the season.

The passing game is producing after a sluggish start, but the offense is missing physical running back Eddie Lacy, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The plan on Sunday was to run the ball more with James Starks back from a knee injury, but the Titans built up such a big early lead that Packers were forced to throw more.

Playing catch-up all day, Aaron Rodgers was 31 of 51 for 371 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

McCarthy had no prognosis on injuries to starting offensive linemen David Bakhtiari (knee) and T.J. Lang (ankle). In the locker room, Bakhtiari said he was taking things day to day with the injury.

”I think everyone has got a lot of confidence in here. We know the guys we have in this locker room, and we know what we’re able to do. It’s just going out and executing,” he said.

The league-best Packers run defense allowed DeMarco Murray to rush for a 75-yard touchdown on the Titans’ first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for the afternoon. Pass coverage has been spotty, especially without injured cornerbacks Sam Shields (concussion) and Damarious Randall (groin). The pass rush has slowed down with linebacker Clay Matthews out the last three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Green Bay trailed Tennessee 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, the kind of start that the Packers were once known for.

”Our adversity football production is not high enough right now. We need to improve there. We know it, our players know it. That’s really where our focus is,” McCarthy said. ”That’s the difference in this league.”

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