Green Bay Packers: 3 Big takeaways from tie vs. Vikings in Week 2

The Green Bay Packers stayed undefeated, but did not win their Week 2 matchup against the rival Vikings. What are the big takeaways from a strange game?

For the first time in NFL history, a game ended in a 29-29 tie on Sunday in Week 2. It shouldn’t have reached overtime though. Bad penalties, poor clock management, and awful execution on defense allowed the Vikings to come back and tie. It should have been a huge win for the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers led, 20-7, after the third quarter. They dominated all three stages of football for the first three quarters of the game. It was all downhill from there as the Vikings scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. If not for three missed field goals, Minnesota would have won the game.

The Packers had many opportunities to seal the win. After an interception late in the fourth, head coach McCarthy decided to pass the ball, going for the touchdown, instead of forcing the Vikings to take timeouts by running the ball.

Luckily, the Packers were in field goal range after the interception, but a field goal only put the Packers up eight. That was all Kirk Cousins needed to lead a game-tying drive. That wasn’t without controversy though. What seemed like a Jaire Alexander game-clinching interception turned into a brutal roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews.

Here’s the explanation for that call.

Clearly, the NFL referees are struggling with making calls in real time. There has to be some sort of consistency when it comes to enforcing the rules so to avoid future calls such as this one against Matthews.

All in all, a tie isn’t the worst thing in the world. It could have ended a lot worse.