Aaron Rodgers will be the NFL MVP.
But now it’s AJ Dillon’s time.
He is built for postseason football at Lambeau Field. The meaty thighs, the powerful gait and the never-say-die attitude. Nobody wants to tackle the 6-foot, 247-pound freight train in good conditions. How willing will defenders be when temperatures are well below freezing?
He showed what he can do a couple weeks ago when the weather gets chilly. Against Minnesota, he had 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Dillon also had a couple catches. In that game, Dillon had 10 touches in the second half.
One of the main reasons Tampa Bay beat the Packers last year in the NFC title game wasn’t just because of Tom Brady. It was because of a running game that was just good enough. The Bucs had 24 carries for 76 yards and a score. Now those numbers are nothing special, but it kept Aaron Rodgers and the offense off the field.
Conversely, the Packers rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries in that game. Jamaal Williams had the most carries with seven.
A winning formula in the playoffs begins and ends with the running game. Aaron Jones will be leaned on, but he has had a different year this season. He has topped 100 yards rushing only once this year and his usage has also been down. In 14 games last year, Jones had 201 carries and in 15 games this year, he has had 30 less totes.
Running Dillon between the tackles early doesn’t just set the tone for the type of game the defense is going to see. It will also set things up for the play-action later on.
I don’t care how good of a defensive front seven a team has. It can be Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Samson Ebukam. (Yes, I think the Packers will host the 49ers a week from now.) That defense is excellent by every measure. But after a while, it isn’t fun trying to tackle someone that big in the cold.
But Dillon has proven that he isn’t just a grinder between the tackles. He can catch it out of the backfield and also make people miss. He just needs to nail down a nickname. Is it “Quadzilla”, “Quadfather”, “The Sauce” or my personal favorite as well as the Door County Chamber of Commerce’s favorite: “Chairman of the Door.”
This is perfect. The playoffs are at home. The temperatures are going to be teeth-rattling. Whatever team has to come to Lambeau Field, they are going to be coming to a place that is about as unwelcoming as possible. There’s a legitimate chance of frostbite, the Packers have gone 8-0 this year in that building and you must be tasked with tackling someone like Dillon that gets three yards when he just falls forward.
The Packers are dynamic because of everything that Rodgers does. There is a need for a guy to do the dirty work and Dillon is that guy. Just give him the rock and watch defenses give tutorials in arm tackling.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on “Clubhouse Live” and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn