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If there was a "winner" in the 29-29 draw between Green Bay and Minnesota, it was the Vikings. (AP Photo / Jeffrey Phelps)
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:
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 taking place at home on the last Sunday of November.
The way they did not lose may have been more important, as Kirk Cousins had his first game as a Minnesota quarterback. 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.
[[[[Analysis: The NFL Belongs To Patrick Mahomes Now]
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.
Rodgers was excellent, but this knee injury will limit him.
Russell Wilson proved two things in 2016: It's possible for a quarter to play with a medial collateral ligament sprain (the same as Rodgers suffered in the first Green Bay match against Chicago), but that creates limits for mobility 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.
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 to penalize defensemen for berthing quarters with all or most of their weight goes back to the return of linebacker Anthony Barr in Minnesota.
The new rule has surpassed the helmet hit rule as the most confusing and controversial league in two weeks, and as The Post's Mark Maske writes, it could have cost Green Bay victory.
[The Packers’ Clay Matthews will tell you, it doesn’t take much roughing to rough the passer]
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 it 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.
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 game Packers-Vikings 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, "That sucks. This game is about someone who wins and someone who loses. "
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.
Sunday was a very 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 collapsed in 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 sidelined for the Minnesota pre-season game 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:
-The two teams of the AFC established themselves as pretenders in good faith as a result of strong performance of their quarters. Blake Bortles beat Tom Brady in the Jaguars' 31-20 victory over the New England Patriots, 377 yards and four touchdowns with no 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 top quarterbacks in the first two weeks, completing 38 of his 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 there is Ryan Fitzpatrick, who defeated the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles during his first two weeks as Tampa Bay quarterback. The way he plays, Jameis Winston has no way to get back to work after suspending his suspension next week. Fitzpatrick completed 78.7% and scored 151.5.
-Every team can have more drama at half time 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.
-So there are the cardinals of Arizona, which also seem to be uncompetitive. 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 a consideration on Sunday, according to coach Steve Wilks, but you have to think he's getting closer to Sam Bradford's place.
-The seven new main coaches 0-7 in the first week and 2-4 in the second week. New York Giants Pat Shurmur could not 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 if the 49ers acquired Josh Gordon, that 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.
Learn more about the NFL:
The Vikings and Browns can suddenly be on the kicker market
Bills' Vontae Davis withdraws at half-time in Sunday's loss to Chargers
Andrew Luck is in good health – and back in the column of victories with the Colts
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