More than a third of the way through their 2023 regular season, the Vikings have yet to play a game you would want to frame.

Three turnovers and 17 points against Tampa Bay.

Four fumbles lost at Philadelphia, where the Vikings dribbled the ball more in one game than Joel Embiid does in a season.

Two turnovers and botched clock and timeout management against the Chargers.

A dreadful Kirk Cousins pick-six interception against still-winless Carolina.

A handful of dropped passes and a lost fumble against Kansas City.

Thirteen offensive points against a bad Chicago team.

This year's Vikings were supposed to be further evolved offensively. Being all thumbs is not a scientific indicator of evolution.

Monday night, the Vikings will play one of the NFL's best teams, San Francisco (5-1), while trying to take advantage of the heavily favored 49ers' significant injuries. .

As is proved nearly every week in the NFL, upsets happen. A Vikings victory would put them in remarkably good shape, given the mediocrity in the NFC North and the relative ease of their remaining schedule.

Here's how the Vikings can give themselves a chance against the 49ers and the rest of the season:

Run the ball. After a 2022 season in which they often were bailed out by since-departed Dalvin Cook's big plays, the Vikings have overcorrected away from the running game. They rank 30th in rushing yards.

What's strange about that is that the strength of the Vikings' offensive line is run blocking. They have two powerhouse tackles, and their guards are better in the run than the pass game. They also have excellent run blockers in fullback C.J. Ham and tight end Josh Oliver.

With receiver Justin Jefferson and edge rusher Marcus Davenport out, the Vikings need to shorten games against good teams. That's why they need to …

Start Akers. Alexander Mattison did not pass the audition. He has done nothing to replace Cook's production. He doesn't break tackles, displayed surprisingly poor hands and often doesn't hit the right hole.

Cam Akers is more talented, reads blocks better and runs better pass routes. He is averaging 5.7 yards per rush with the Vikings this year, and 4.1 for his career. Mattison is averaging 3.9 yards per rush this season and 4.1 for his career.

Reserve back Ty Chandler has averaged 5.3 yards per rush. Akers and Chandler could create the kind of second-and-manageable situations that would enable Kirk Cousins to thrive.

The line could also use …

A jolt from Risner. Dalton Risner has become adorned with red flags. He went into the season unsigned. His former team, the Broncos, cut him loose. He was unable to immediately displace the struggling Ed Ingram at guard.

But unlike Ingram, a struggling youngster, Risner is a proven NFL starter. It's time to find out if he can make a difference.

That's a coaching decision. The front office needs to …

Extend Hunter. Danielle Hunter continues to excel and sign short-term contracts. At 28, he is by far the Vikings' best and most valuable defensive player.

He is healthy, he keeps himself in remarkable shape, he never complains publicly even when engaged in fruitless negotiations about a long-term deal and he plays in a league where a number of veteran pass rushers thrive. Without Hunter, the Vikings might be winless this season.

While the Vikings are at it, they need to get into a time machine, go back to August and …

Sign Jefferson. Jefferson's contract demands dwarf those of T.J. Hockenson, but it still seems strange that the Vikings signed their pretty good tight end instead of their resident superstar to a long-term deal.

For all of their problems this season, you could argue that if Hockenson had dropped fewer footballs this season, the Vikings could be 4-2 or 5-1.

His early fumble against the Bucs cost them at least three points in a close game. He batted a last-second pass into the air against the Chargers, and it was intercepted to seal the Vikings' loss. He dropped passes in a close loss to Kansas City.

Hockenson needs to justify his contract.

If the Vikings are going to contend this season, he might have to Monday.