As we head towards the end of December, the NFL season is entering the home stretch. The Green Bay Packers have already clinched the NFC North title for the third straight season. That means the Packers will have at least one home playoff game in January and that they have a chance to host the NFC Championship for a second straight season.

Obviously, winter weather in Green Bay can be a factor in the outcome of games. Whether it’s rain, mud, sleet, snow, freezing cold or wind, the weather in Green Bay can force teams to change their game plans and limit what offenses can do especially if they aren’t used to playing in those conditions.

So, it’s a good thing for the Packers that the team has two strong and talented running backs in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Each of the team’s top two running backs has different skill sets and strengths and when you put them together, Matt LaFleur’s team can run the ball in different ways.

Jones is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 although he will need a strong finish to reach that mark this season. Jones has missed one full game and was limited in others due to a knee injury, but he still leads the team with 657 rushing yards.

He is also a dangerous receiver out of the backfield and has 42 catches for 340 yards and six touchdown catches. Jones needs seven receptions in the final three regular season games to tie his career high for catches in a season.

Jones is a speedy, one-cut runner who can get to the edge and is a threat to break a long run on any play. He is averaging a solid 4.4-yards per attempt despite running in front of a banged-up offensive line that is missing four of its top five players.

If Jones is a dangerous outside threat, Dillon is a big, between the tackles kind of runner. At 6’ and 247-pounds, Dillon represents a challenge for defenders trying to tackle him one-on-one. Although he’s big and has huge quads, he also has niftiness and can avoid contact when necessary.

Thus far, Dillon is right behind Jones with 636 yards and a 4.2-yard per carry average. While not as dangerous as a receiver as Jones, Dillon has been a pleasant surprise catching the ball. He was rarely asked to catch passes at Boston College and scouts weren’t sure if he was going to be a good receiver. But this season, Dillon has 28 catches in 30 targets and has caught two touchdown passes.

As a rookie last year, Dillon saw limited action behind Jones and Jamaal Williams. He also missed time due to a bout with Covid-19. But he was the feature back in one game, a snowy contest at Lambeau Field against the Tennessee Titans that showed how valuable he can be on a slippery field. Dillon shined in that contest, gaining 124 yards in 21 carries and scoring twice.

So, depending on the weather conditions, the footing on the field and the defensive matchups they’re facing, the Packers offense can run effectively with different styles if both Dillon and Jones are healthy.

Even in games when the team doesn’t have outstanding rushing stats or break long runs, they still need to run the ball enough to help control the clock and make it tougher for opposing defenses to concentrate on trying to slow down the Packers potent passing attack led by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.

Last week against Baltimore was an example. The Packers were facing one of the higher-ranked run defenses in the league. They ran the ball 25 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. The Pack averaged less than four-yards per rush and their longest run of the day was an 11-yard gain by Jones. But they were still able to score 31 points and to hold the ball for more than 31 minutes.

“We were getting positive gains,” LaFleur told reporters after the game. “I don’t think we had any explosives in the run game, which we always would like, but for the most part, I thought it was a productive day on the ground.”

Historically, the Packers need to run well to excel in the playoffs and they did this in both of their most recent Super Bowl wins. In 1996, the Packers emphasized the pass all season but leaned heavily on the ground game in the playoffs.

In the mud at Lambeau against San Francisco, the Packers threw only 15 passes while running the ball 39 times. The Packers won 35-14.

In the NFC Championship Game against the Panthers, the Packers threw 29 passes while running the football 45 times and won 30-13.

In Super Bowl XXXI, which was played indoors, Brett Favre thew 27 passes but the Packers ran the football 36 times while beating the Patriots 35-21.

In 2010, the Packers were again primarily a passing team. They played three road playoff games and again, emphasized the run more than they did all season. In Philadelphia, Aaron Rodgers threw 27 passes while the Packers ran the ball 32 times. They beat Philadelphia 21-16.

The following week indoors in Atlanta, Rodgers had what may be his best throwing performance of his career but the Packers still ran the football 31 times while throwing 36 passes and the Packers crushed Atlanta 48-21.

In the NFC Championship Game in Chicago, it was cold and windy. The Packers threw 30 passes but ran the ball 32 times in their 21-14 win over the Bears.

When the weather is cold and windy, it becomes more important to be able to run the football to have success. The Packers are well-equipped to handle this challenge as they head into the home stretch of the 2021 season.