GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have such a pass-first offense that it might be easy to overlook running back Ryan Grant.

Yet if Grant keeps up his recent trend of strong late-season performances, the Packers will become even more potent as they make a push for the playoffs.

Grant ran 62 yards for a touchdown on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage at Chicago on Sunday, then scored a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Packers a 21-14 victory. He finished with 137 yards rushing, his second 100-yard game in the team's five-game winning streak.

Grant doesn't expect the Packers to abandon their passing game as the weather turns cold. But going into Sunday's game at Pittsburgh, Grant knows he can make life easier for the Packers' talented wide receivers.

"The offense feels like we can control the ball running, and that doesn't mean running every play," Grant said. "If we can control the line of scrimmage by running the ball, the majority of the time we're going to win the game."

Led by sharp young quarterback Aaron Rodgers and one of the league's best receiver groups, the Packers aren't known as one of the NFL's stronger running teams. Nor is Grant widely considered an elite back.

Still, he has 1,068 yards rushing this season, seventh-best in the league. As a team, the Packers are 13th in rushing.

"Our running game's not as pathetic as everybody thinks it is," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "I'm not happy with it a lot of times. But our guys, they're not chopped liver."

Grant says he doesn't mind flying under the radar as long as the Packers are winning. And while he's happy with the way the running game is going, he would like more consistency.

"There's always room for improvement," Grant said. "We can always do things better. We can absolutely be more consistent, I think everybody on this offense would say that. But we are doing some good things."