For multiple reasons, it would be a great story if the Vikings made it to the Super Bowl this season. At 8-4, despite struggles against top teams, that Minnesota dream remains a reality.

If that doesn't happen, though, for a too-brief time there existed the possibility of an alternate dream: a Super Bowl in which circumstances and injuries forced Tarvaris Jackson of the Seahawks and Christian Ponder of the Broncos to be behind center in the big 5-0. I just talked about this very dream, in fact, earlier today.

But while Seattle seems to be rounding into form and the Broncos are a legitimate threat, the chances that those two cast-off former Vikings QBs would somehow meet in the world's biggest game came to a crashing halt Tuesday when it was reported that Ponder was waived by Denver.

This could be a sign that Peyton Manning is getting close to being healthy enough to at least be in the mix. It could be a sign that Ponder was unimpressive, considering he was signed 13 days ago, Manning is still out and the Broncos only have two healthy quarterbacks on their roster now.

Whatever the case, the dream is dead. You are free to return to the original dream of the Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater making it.