The Vikings-Packers tie will have a major impact on the NFC North and NFL playoffs

In the rare cases where a tie occurs in the NFL, it is often because two teams play a game of incompetence three Stooges-esque that ends without any team being able to score in overtime.

We saw it in the first week when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns equalized 21-21, combining for seven turnovers, a couple of goals missed in overtime and errors galore.

But the 29-29 draw between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings was a bit different. Yes, missed field goals are almost indispensable for a tie, but for the most part, it was a hotly contested match between two legitimate playoff contenders and two teams fighting for the NFC's northern crown.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Kirk Cousins ​​was the duel we dreamed of

The Vikings gave Cousins ​​an $ 84 million advantage in advance for three years because they are a team that decided to make a Super Bowl. But if Minnesota wants to have this chance, the road to the north of the NFC goes through Rodgers.

With the Rodgers offside last year due to injury, the Vikings won two-digit wins over the Packers.

But with the return of Rodgers in action – although on one leg due to a knee injury suffered during week 1 – the pressure was on Cousins ​​to show why he was worth his contract. And although he did not lead the Vikings to victory, he certainly showed why the team gave him all that money.

Rodgers led the Packers to a 20-7 lead in three quarters, despite his reduced mobility. He finished the game with 30 finishes on 42 attempts for 281 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Then cousins ​​made magic possible. It was not really the magic of the Bears-on-one-leg, but the Vikings quarterback quickly hit with a 75-yard touchdown against Stefon Diggs who gave the team a crucial spark in the middle of the fourth quarter.

After two more goals on the Packers' field, Cousins ​​regained the upper hand by slipping the needle in a touchdown to Adam Thielen, followed by a two-point conversion to Diggs.

Cousins ​​finished the match with 425 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

There was controversy, of course

What's an NFL game without at least one team having a problem with refereeing?

In this case, it was the Packers who received a 15-yard penalty for hitting the passer when Clay Matthews hit Cousins. The penalty canceled an interception that would have virtually sealed the deal for the Packers.

The call was dubious, at best, and extended the race that ended with Thielen's landing and Diggs' two-point conversion that connected the game.

According to the referee who threw the flag, Matthews was not punished for dropping his weight on Cousins. This is because "he picked up the back quarter and led him to the ground".

Kickers ruined the finish

Nobody wants a tie. Sling for the Browns at 0-0-16 was rather fun, but ultimately, a tie is frustrating for players and fans alike.

The fault of Cousins ​​or Rodgers was not due to a tie in overtime. Blame the kickers for that one.

Rodgers led the Packers for 41 yards in four games to establish a 52-yard placement that Mason Crosby missed at the end of the settlement. Crosby was successful, but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer took a break before trying to outsmart the kicker. It worked: Crosby missed the second try.

In overtime Daniel Carlson, a rookie Vikings player, missed by 49 and 35 goals.

He sets up a massive revenge of the week 12

With only 16 games in an NFL season, tiebreakers are usually crucial in determining who will play in the playoffs and who owns which seeds. What is interesting at the moment is that the tiebreaker between the Vikings and the Packers comes down to a match of the week 12 in Minnesota.

Without a tie, the only way for a team to get a head-to-head tie break – at the top of the tee-shirt food chain – is to do a season sweep. Divide the games and it becomes more complicated.

But now, barring an incredibly unlikely scenario that another draw is coming, the NFC North will have a very clear picture after November 25th. The winner between the Packers and the Vikings will have the break of equality.

Theoretically, this could mean the difference between a team making the playoffs and the other starting from home. In the event that the Vikings and Packers have sufficient results to qualify for the playoffs, the result of week 12 would decide which team wins a home playoff match or even a pass.

And no, we have not forgotten the Chicago Bears. A 24-23 loss to the Packers means the NFC North favorites are Green Bay and Minnesota for the moment. But if Chicago climbs into the peloton, the attribution of Week 2 means that its breakage situation will be easy to resolve.

There are also Lions, but they have bigger things to do after a 0-2 start that included a 48-17 smackdown in the hands of the Jets.

NFC North was already a fascinating race between the Packers, arguably the best player of the last decade, and the Vikings, a heavyweight who grabbed a Super Bowl race. After week 2, it has a little more spice.