Titans running back Shonn Greene runs 13 yards for a touchdown as Packers defenders Brad Jones (59), Mike Daniels (76) and Datone Jones chase him in the first quarter. Credit: Associated Press

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Nashville, Tenn. — Coach Mike McCarthy pledged at midweek to show the Seattle Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers' opponent in the regular-season opener, next to nothing during the exhibition season.

One way to do that was take uniforms away from Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Eddie Lacy, which McCarthy surprisingly did Saturday night in the Packers' 20-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans at LP Field.

McCarthy did deign to put defensive newcomer Julius Peppers on the rain-slickened turf for 10 snaps. Those 10 snaps were one of the points of interest on a stormy night in Tennessee.

A crowd estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000 was on hand. Heavy rain fell for the entire first quarter before it stopped in the second quarter and then returned for a portion of the third quarter.

"You remember games like that when you were a kid," McCarthy said. "It was fun to play in that tonight.

"To play in this environment was an incredible experience for us. We are from Green Bay, Wisconsin."

The Packers fumbled five times, losing one, and dropped four or five passes. Rookie Davante Adams fumbled twice on punt returns after having received little time doing it in practice.

"There's fundamental, technical things he needs to improve on," McCarthy said. "You never go into any season with just one person at any position. You can never be deep enough."

Peppers started at right outside linebacker in the 3-4 base defense. Five of his snaps came there.

He also logged five snaps at left end in the 4-2 nickel defense.

"It was just a matter of getting him going," an executive in personnel for an NFL team said. "You're not really going to see much from him now. This is the warm-up to the warm-up."

On Peppers' first play, veteran tight end Craig Stevens slammed into the 34-year-old with determination and controlled him as the running back ran by for a gain of 4. Peppers gave Stevens a piece of his mind after the play.

A few snaps later, Stevens confronted Peppers again in a run-block situation. After gaining a stalemate, Stevens found himself thrown to the ground by Peppers.

"I saw that," another NFL personnel man said. "(Peppers) looked tough against the run early. Star players don't like the way Stevens plays. He's a finisher."

The Titans scored on a 13-yard run by Shonn Greene that proved to be Peppers' final snap.

On the play, Peppers moved up the field from right outside linebacker and was sealed wide by tackle Michael Roos. Next to Peppers, defensive end Mike Daniels charged inside.

After slipping underneath Peppers, Greene easily outran inside linebacker Brad Jones to the end zone.

"It's so hard to tell," one scout said. "You don't know what the footing was like. You can't tell much in weather like that."

Greene also had a rush for 3 yards on the Titans' second play from scrimmage, in which Peppers appeared to be in position to make the tackle in the backfield but either stumbled or hesitated.

"I was told by one of our personnel guys that used to be with Peppers that he is just a freak of nature," one scout said. "That his body type may be like he's five years younger. But we won't see that in the preseason."

In all, the Titans rushed five times, passed three times and had two busted plays with Peppers in the lineup.

On the second pass attempt by Jake Locker, Greene went directly at Peppers and hit him somewhere near the thigh area. Waiting behind Greene to double-team Peppers was right tackle Michael Oher.

Is chip-blocking by a running back going to be a frequent tactic against Peppers?

"No question," one scout said. "He's so talented. Teams will have to look for that guy. It'll dictate where you go with the ball.

"But you have 52 (Clay Matthews), too. And you can't double them both."

Peppers offered nothing as a pass rusher, not that anything was expected on a wet night in early August.

"He's such a premier athlete," one scout said. "He'll survive because of that."

At midweek, McCarthy was up front about what the Seahawks could expect to ascertain from the Packers' four exhibition games.

"Philosophically, some people just go about it and show whatever," McCarthy said. "Most people don't show what they're going to show against Seattle."

Early in practices this summer, McCarthy has led the offense from Ray Nitschke Field and into the Don Hutson Center, where fans and reporters aren't able to watch. The offense then has worked inside for about 15 minutes.

"What we plan on doing for Seattle is nothing we've been practicing on outside," McCarthy added. "Frankly, we probably won't show it in the first four weeks of preseason."

McCarthy had never withheld Rodgers from an exhibition opener before Saturday night. Lacy and Nelson also watched from the sidelines in sweats.

"Good thing I'm watching Tennessee," one scout said. "You'd be a little disappointed. But those three guys are all spectacular players. They'll only need a few series. They can get some next week and more in the third game."

McCarthy said he hadn't done a good job in the past giving playing time to the fourth quarterback and wanted to rectify the situation this summer with Chase Rettig, a rookie free agent from Boston College. He mopped up in the final three series.

"I feel like Aaron's had an excellent camp...a phenomenal spring," McCarthy said. "He would have played one series tonight, so it was really about getting Chase to the work in the whole fourth quarter.

"We made it a point that our young players had the whole fourth quarter."

Meanwhile, running back James Starks made the most of the start by carrying six times for 49 yards in an eight-play, 64-yard touchdown drive to open the game.

"Starks isn't what you want as a starter, but he's a good role player," said one scout. "They've got Lacy and (DuJuan) Harris. That's a couple guys in the stable."

Under McCarthy, the Packers fell to 2-7 in exhibition openers, including five defeats in a row. The Titans improved to 5-0 against McCarthy in the summer game.

McCarthy is 15-18 overall in exhibition games.