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Be thankful for: The Justin Jefferson experience. The Diggs trade appears to be the rare case of a deal working out well for both teams. The Vikings used the 22nd pick on Jefferson, and he's currently seventh league-wide with 848 yards. Jefferson would have to average 42 yards per game in the final six to hit 1,100 yards. Do you know how many rookie wide receivers have had 1,100 yards in the last 10 years? Two! Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas. That's the whole list. The Vikings are 4-6, but Jefferson looks like he's going to be a difference-maker for years to come.

Losing to the Cowboys at home is a damning blow to their playoff chances. The defense let them down in a big way.

Decent chance WR Justin Jefferson can become sixth Minnesota player named offensive rookie of the year during the Super Bowl era, which would be most of any franchise.

What they're thankful for: LBs Eric Wilson and Eric Kendricks

These two are the glue that has held the Vikings' defense together. Kendricks is having another All-Pro-type season while Wilson has emerged in the absence of Anthony Barr and leads all NFL linebackers with three interceptions. Minnesota's defense has experienced constant ups and downs given injuries and the youth/inexperience on the defensive line and in the secondary. Kendricks and Wilson are critical factors in maintaining stability, and Wilson's play on special teams (he blocked an extra point against Dallas) is worth noting, too. -- Courtney Cronin

On Sunday against the Cowboys, Kirk Cousins played his best game of the season, Dalvin Cook ran for 100 yards, Justin Jefferson had another long touchdown and Adam Thielen added two scores of his own ... but it all went for naught, because the Mike Zimmer's defense took a huge step back. The Cowboys have been one of football's worst offenses since Dak Prescott's season-ending ankle injury, but Andy Dalton had no issues finding open receivers, while the Minnesota run defense allowed Dallas to pile up 180 yards on the ground. The Vikings kicked away a golden opportunity to move within a game of the Cardinals in the NFC wild-card race and now put themselves in a position where they might need to win out to extend their season. Not an ideal circumstance.