The Green Bay Packers have to know there’s a ton on the line in their Week 14 matchup with the Detroit Lions. The Packers have long been the kings of the NFC North, but that’s a title that the Lions have outright stolen from them.

The Lions, at 11-1, are threatening to run away with the North, as well as run away with the NFC as a whole, but the 9-3 Packers still have hope that they can recapture the crown.

They have games against the Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears still left on the schedule. The Packers will have to play perfectly and hope that the Lions and Vikings falter a bit but the road to the North is still there, but it will be tough.

Even if the Packers can’t make a comeback in the NFC North standings, they still are fighting for their Wild Card playoff lives. Every win and loss matters at this point of the season.

A game like this allows the Packers to see how they match up with the cream of the crop in the NFC.

It’s one thing to beat the Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins, but how will this Packers team fare in a contest that could very well be a preview of a potential NFC Championship game matchup?

So yes., there is indeed a lot on the line for the Packers, which is why head coach Matt LaFleur needs to stick to the plan that has gotten them to this point. It all starts and ends with running back Josh Jacobs.

Here are three reasons why Jacobs is the key to a Week 14 win over the Lions for the Packers.

Josh Jacobs provides the Packers with a toughness that they need 

Lions head coach Dan Campbell has instilled a culture of “grit” in Detroit, and that is undoubtedly what has made the Lions one of the best teams in the NFL. They’re a tough out because they never stop fighting.

That has never really been the Packers’ MO in the LaFleur era, or even going back to the Mike McCarthy era, but Jacobs has changed a lot of that in 2024.

He’s as tough as a runner as they come, and checking in at stout 5-foot-10, 223 pounds, he’s more likely to punish than receive it from a defender…

The Packers have taken on Jacobs’ mentality over the past few weeks. They still have a high-flying offense thanks to the arm of Jordan Love and talented wideouts like Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs, but this has become an offense that isn’t afraid to get into a phone booth and pound it down their opponent’s throats.

“He’s playing well, and I think the team’s rallying around him and his play style, and I would agree we’re playing very physically right now,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich recently said of Jacobs, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated.

Jacobs has been Jordan Love’s best friend on offense

It’s no coincidence that Love’s play has improved as Jacobs has become more and more involved in the offense.

The second-year starter had a terrible interception problem earlier this season, as he threw 11 interceptions in just eight games. He’s now gone two games in a row without a pick, and he’s thrown four touchdowns in the past two games.

Meanwhile, Jacobs has rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns and then followed that up with 117 total yards (74 as a receiver) and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.

Defenses are having to put a ton of attention on stopping Jacobs, which has certainly made Love’s life easier as a quarterback. The Packers have hit a few more deep balls downfield as a result, and Love’s overall play has improved because he feels that he doesn’t need to carry this offense at the moment.

All he has to do is be a part of it and take what the defense gives him, and that’s when LaFleur’s offensive scheme is really at its best.

Jacobs will help the Packers control the ball vs. the Lions

The Lions are dominant offensively thanks to the genius of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and a strong running game of their own bolstered by the league’s best offensive line and a tremendous running back duo in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Lions can be explosive, too, thanks to receivers like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, so they’re all in all a tough offense to crack.

The Lions lead the NFL in points per game with 31.9, and their 395.2 yards per game are second only behind the Baltimore Ravens.

Sometimes, the best way to stop a good offense is to not give them their chances, and the best way the Packers can do that on Thursday Night Football is to control the clock with the running game. LaFleur should feel no urgency as a play-caller because there should be no rush to get down the field.

The Packers will want to score touchdowns, but if they can control the time of possession and limit Detroit’s offensive changes, their odds of winning will go up exponentially. Leaning on Jacobs is the best way to do that.