Three times the Vikings' season was over (and two times they saved it)

The Vikings have changed directions and quarterbacks more often this season than my 4-year-old changes food preferences, which makes it hard to get a handle on framing the big picture.

These 2023 Vikings feel like several different teams playing several different mini-seasons. In thinking of the totality, this sticks out: Their defining trait has been perseverance, but their ultimate downfall — assuming they don't cash in their longshot 3% playoff ticket with a win over Detroit and a lot of help this weekend — is that they couldn't overcome one more time.

It leaves Vikings fans in a position this weekend where they might be just as happy with a loss as a win, which I talked about on Friday's Daily Delivery podcast.

By Monday, talk almost certainly will have quickly shifted to offseason needs and draft priorities. Before then, though, let's remember the three times the season was over — and the two times (so far) the Vikings saved it.

It's over: The Vikings fell to 1-4, including 0-3 at home, with another frustrating loss to Kansas City. On top of that, wide receiver Justin Jefferson was lost to a hamstring injury during the game. Kirk Cousins started getting asked about whether he would waive his no-trade clause before the deadline. The chances of making the playoffs at that point were slim.

It's saved! The season outlook dramatically changed with a Week 7 win over the 49ers. It was the first time all season the Vikings had put together a complete game, and it was one of Cousins' best primetime efforts of his career. They still had work to do, but you could see the possibilities with a forgiving schedule ahead.

It's over: But the following week, even in the midst of a convincing win over Green Bay, Cousins was lost for the season with a torn Achilles. There was no way the Vikings, even at 4-4, could withstand such a thing.

It's saved! Then there was the brief era of Joshua Dobbs mania. He took over for injured third-stringer Jaren Hall (who was playing because Cousins and Nick Mullens were both injured) and engineered a game-winning drive against Atlanta. He followed with a sterling performance against New Orleans. He earned a nickname (The Passtronaut), and people like me legitimately wondered if he was a long-term solution. If nothing else, the Vikings were 6-4 and in command of their fate.

It's over: The Passtronaut came back to earth around halftime of the Broncos game, a real turning point in the season. The Vikings have lost 5 of 6 since that New Orleans win, with their only win by a 3-0 score. But until New Year's Eve, they still controlled their playoff fate. Win the final two, and they would be in. That was their third chance to save the season, and it ended with a 33-10 humiliation against the Packers.

Technically, the Vikings can still save themselves with a batch of Sunday outcomes. It's far more likely, though, that the last unofficial "it's over" will become the official one in a couple of days.

Here are four more things to know today:

*The Wild seem to be having a similar season to the Vikings. And like the Vikings, I'm not sure they will be able to save themselves in the end.

*What would have sufficed as a moral victory became a real one for the Gophers on Thursday at Michigan. I wish I would have watched the whole thing, but the parts I did watch revealed a deeper team and one that is fun to watch — something I also talked about on Friday's podcast.

*I don't understand any discussion of the Bears having a quarterback conundrum. They have the No. 1 pick. Justin Fields has been mediocre and is about to become considerably more expensive. Caleb Williams is a once-every-three-years QB prospect. It's not hard.

*Patrick Reusse and I will recap Sunday's Vikings game and the entire season on Monday's podcast.