It's cold, football fields are torn up, aches and pains are starting to linger.
Much of the talk around Baltimore this week has been about being a more aggressive offense after the Ravens narrowly held on for a 19-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
But as the calendar turns to December, running the football often takes precedent.
The Ravens aren't going to dramatically shift their offense, but they could lean more on their emerging duo of Terrance West and rookie Kenneth Dixon.
"Both running backs are getting better every single week," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "I just feel like they're starting to really get their feet under them, so to speak, and they are really making some plays for us."
On the surface, the Ravens' run game hasn't proven to be one worthy of too many opportunities. Baltimore ranks 28th in the NFL in average rushing yards per game (87.8).
But circumstances are changing.
The Ravens' offensive line seems to be finally settled for the first time all year with Ronnie Stanley healthy at left tackle, Marshal Yanda at left guard and Vladimir Ducasse at right guard. Jeremy Zuttah is playing well at center (outside of his three penalties in Dallas) and right tackle Rick Wagner is playing the best football of his career, per Harbaugh.
"I feel like the offensive line is playing better," Harbaugh said Monday. "I think when you watch them on tape, we are better than we were three or four weeks ago."
Then there's the running backs themselves. The Ravens had a Justin Forsett-West duo to start the year, with Forsett getting the lion's share. Then it was West and a little bit of Javorius Allen. Now, West and Dixon have formed Baltimore's best combination.
The two had a perfectly split 13-carry workload against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dixon ran for 49 yards. West put up 48.
"We're just feeding off each other, taking advantage of the opportunity," West said.
West's pace has slowed down a bit since he ripped off games with 113, 95 and 87 rushing yards from Weeks 4-6, but he's still putting up solid totals and running hard.
The added boost has come from Dixon, whose 49 rushing yards against the Bengals were a season high in seven games. He also caught four passes for 31 yards. The fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech showed his quick feet and hard running style.
"I haven't even scratched the surface of what I can do," Dixon added.
Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said the majority of the touches could rotate between the different backs based on each opponent and the game plan. But either way, the Ravens like both.
"They run hard. They're not easy to bring down. They catch the ball," Harbaugh said. "They've both been solid in pass protection, which is not easy for a young back. They're doing a good job."
Then there's the weather. The Ravens haven't exactly turned to their running game in December during the past couple seasons. From 2008 to 2013, however, their rushing average in December was the best of any month in the season, with the exception of 2009.
"For running backs, it's the best time of year," West said. "Defenders don't like to hit. It's too cold. When it gets cold, you've got to be able to run the ball. We're just getting started."
