The Green Bay Packers made a bold and unexpected move this offseason that’s already paying massive dividends in the franchise’s quest for an unexpected NFC North division championship.

A victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night would inch the Packers closer to a division title, and running back Josh Jacobs has been instrumental to Green Bay’s success this season, while playing his way into the fringes of the NFL MVP conversations.

Since arriving in Green Bay this offseason, when the Packers let Aaron Jones walk via free agency, Jacobs has rushed for 987 yards and eight touchdowns as a focal point of the offense’s success. Through the first 13 weeks of this season, Jacobs ranks third in rushing yards, trailing only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.

According to Matt LaFleur, Jones has been a true difference-maker.

“He’s a coaches dream,” LaFleur told reporters this week, ahead of a showdown against the Lions with colossal postseason implications.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Aaron Jones’ struggles with ball security continue as the 30-year-old is tied for the league-lead among running backs with three lost fumbles.

The Vikings have made Jones a key part of the offense, as he’s compiled 820 yards and three touchdowns this season, while also adding the game-winning score against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Packers, however, have no regrets about how the offseason played out, and the franchise’s investment in Jacobs.

Even though the Packers, and head coach Matt LaFleur have been mindful of not overworking Jones during the week, the star running back hasn’t skipped a beat when game day rolls around.

“He’s a guy that I really don’t worry about in terms of assignments,” LaFleur said of Jacobs, when asked about the running back’s impact and at times dialing back his practice workload. “Every [practice] rep he gets is meaningful. Whether it’s in a walkthrough, he is taking the correct footwork, he’s pressing the right gaps, he’s reading it the right way.

“You see the same thing when he gets a live-rep, how hard he’s going, how he finishes, he does it the right way.”

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