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It was an exciting Sunday of the NFL Week 2, but perhaps no match was more convincing than the Packers Vikings. He might have included the two best teams in the NFC and some of the biggest field issues that the sport has been facing so far this season. He captured the current state of the NFL, both the good and the bad.
Here are five things we learned from this game:
1. Even if the match was a draw, the result skewed the Vikings.
For reasons that will soon be spreading, both teams could reasonably have thought they should have won Sunday, which ended in a draw 29-29. But the result gives the Vikings a slight advantage in the competitive NFC North race. The Vikings did not lose to Lambeau Field, the return match having taken place at their home on the last Sunday of November.
The way they did not lose was perhaps more important, since Kirk Cousins had his first declaration match as a quarterback of Minnesota. Cousins dominated the Vikings after a 20-7 deficit in the fourth quarter and played well: 35 out of 48 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns. 21 of these achievements, 259 of these yards and three of the scores went to his two great receivers, Adam Theilen and Stefon Diggs.
The fact that Cousins can go to Lambeau and face Aaron Rodgers, even if Rodgers is limited by his knee injury, is a very positive sign for the Vikings. Regarding the extremely tight title for the division title and perhaps a first round in the first round or overall standings of the conference, Minnesota made slight progress on Sunday.
2. Rodgers was excellent, but this knee injury will limit it.
Russell Wilson has proven two things in 2016: It's possible for a quarterback to play with a medial collateral ligament sprain (the same as Rodgers suffered in the first Green Bay match against Chicago), but that limits the mobility of the medial ligament. a QB.
Rodgers was excellent despite his Sunday mobility limitations, completing 30 of 42 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown. He was also fired four times and in a crucial second overtime game, he lost his footing to a playoff game that derailed what could have been a winning goal.
There is no doubt about Rodgers' greatness, and no one seems to have any questions as Rodgers will continue to cope with the pain. And Rodgers, in a limited capacity, still gives Green Bay an edge against almost every team in the league. But in a division with a tiny margin of error and a very competitive NFC overall (as mentioned earlier, the conference is loaded with top quarterback games), the injury could be a decisive factor. The winner of NFC North will be in for a first round. Second place will play a first-round playoff game on the road.
3. The rules protecting quarterbacks become a problem.
The NFL Competition Committee knows the importance of quarterbacks in a league of passage. The Packers abandoned the playoff race after Rodgers broke his collarbone last year and the Vikings took control of the NFC North. The rule change aimed at penalizing defensemen for landing on the shifts with all or most of their weight goes back to Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr's hit over Rodgers.
The new rule surpassed the helmet hit rule as the most confusing and controversial in the league in two weeks and, as Post's Mark Maske writes, it could have cost Green Bay victory.
At the end of the fourth quarter. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews rushed Cousins down his shoulder and into the quarter. What appeared to be a manual plea drew a penalty flag, canceling a Cousins interception that could have sealed a win for the Packers, which led to 29-21, with 1:37 to regulation. Given the second chance, the Cousins led the touchdown and converted to two points.
Matthews said that he could not believe it.
"I do not know what else to do," Matthews said after the match. "Did I put pressure on him?" I thought I was hitting him in the chest, crossing his head, lowering his hands. The call at this point of the game is simply amazing. . . . You see how that changed the game. I know the focus is on quarterback protection, but it's out of control. "
Referee Tony Corrente said the call had nothing to do with the new weight rule, but rather he thought Matthews had recovered a quarter and led him to the ground. Whatever the case may be, the call has sparked increased debate over the additional rules put in place to protect quarterbacks who have gone too far and are now affecting game results.
4. It was the second match tied in two weeks, creating another potential problem for the league.
As if the controversy over the QB was not enough, the Packers-Vikings tie questioned, for a second week in a row, the rule change to reduce overtime from 15 to 10 minutes.
Rodgers said the tie is close to a loss. Geronimo Allison, catcher at the packers, said: "It's a draw, this game is a win and a defeat."
The NFL escaped mere sudden death spells when it thought it was fair to give the other team a chance to tie in or win if the team that won the draw launched a goal on his first possessions. Then, for security reasons, the league shortened the extra time from 15 minutes to 10.
Here is the problem: when neither team gets points, there is little time left for both teams to score. Only 3:48 remained in overtime after the Vikings and Packers exhausted their first possessions. Last week he was 5:29 after two possessions in the Cleveland-Pittsburgh draw. Missed field goals played in both finals.
Ten games Sunday were decided by eight points or less. We could see more links before the end of the season.
5. Sunday was a really bad day for the kickers.
After the appeal against Matthews gave Minnesota a new lease on life, and Cousins brought the team back to tie the game up in regulation, the Vikings really should have won. But rookie Daniel Carlson has scored two of his three goals in overtime, which is part of an agonizing day for the league.
Kickers missed 11 goals and seven more points. Zane Gonzalez completely melted into the Browns' 21-18 loss to the Saints, missing two goals and two more points. Most people around Cleveland think that Gonzalez will be released, and Carlson is probably in a similar position. I was on the sidelines for Minnesota's preliminary match against Seattle, when Carlson missed two field goals, and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was furious on the sidelines.
Here are some basic stories from the second week:
– Two AFC teams have emerged as true contenders after strong performances of their quarterbacks. Blake Bortles defeated Tom Brady in the Jaguars 31-20 victory over the New England Patriots, 377 yards and four touchdowns without an interception or running back Leonard Fournette (thigh injury). With a defense that features eight Pro Bowlers and a budding Pro Bowler in Myles Jack linebacker, the Jaguars just need Bortles to keep things going with turnovers. Suddenly, Jaguars have the appearance of a team capable of getting a first place.
But then again, the Kansas City Chiefs, led by rising star Patrick Mahomes. He was one of the league's best quarterbacks in the first two weeks, completing 38 of 55 passes for 582 yards and 10 touchdowns. His quarter note is astounding (143.3). The Chiefs average 40 points per game with wins against the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, both on the road. His six shots of the day Sunday have thrilled the league.
– And then there is Ryan Fitzpatrick, who beat the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles in his first two weeks as Tampa Bay quarterback. The way he plays, Jameis Winston has no way to get back to work after his suspension next week. Fitzpatrick completed 78.7% and scored 151.5.
– Could a team have more tragedies at half-time than the Buffalo Bills? Cornerback Vontae Davis retired mid-game, leaving his teammates furious, and coach Sean McDermott pushed defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier before the start of the third quarter.
The bills are a mess. Their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was a final result of 31-20, but they were down 28-6 at halftime. They lost against Baltimore, 47-3, last week. They can not leave the Redzone channel. In the first six quarters, they gave up nine touchdowns in the red zone.
– Then there are the Cardinals of Arizona, who also seem not to be competitive. They lost to the Rams, 34-0 and have nothing to envy to their attack. The Cardinals have six points in two games and average 175 yards per game in attack. Playing rookie quarterback Josh Rosen was not considered Sunday, according to coach Steve Wilks, but you have to think he's getting closer to Sam Bradford.
– The seven new head coaches went from 0 to 7 in the first week, and they have a 2-4 record until now in the second week. Pat Shurmur's New York Giants failed to protect Eli Manning. Matt Patricia had a better day than his horrible Detroit Lions game but lost to the 49ers. The cardinals were excluded. And the Oakland Raiders made a good performance from Derek Carr (29 of 32 for 288 yards) in a 20-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Subsequently, Gruden said he should perhaps do more blitz to put pressure on the quarterback. Do not trade Khalil Mack could have helped.
– It would not be surprising that the 49ers acquired Josh Gordon, the Browns give up. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin missed Sunday's game and coach Kyle Shanahan knows Gordon's talent of their season together in Cleveland.
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