In this holiday season, I’m glad for what I’ve seen from this year’s Vikings team.

There have been tough losses, but I am very impressed with what I see from the franchise, from the players to the coaches to the front office. Vikings fans can feel good this Christmas.

As a fan, you want to win a championship every year. You want to win every game. But that’s not realistic.

Though there will be no championship, this year’s Vikings team is clearly going in the right direction. This year is one of those foundational seasons when you bring a group together and start building for the future.

That takes a real team. You need the right people, guys who respect and play for one another.

I’ll always remember the 1961 Vikings team, my rookie year and the very first season for the franchise. We were an expansion team, filled with rookies and castoffs nobody else wanted, thanks to strict expansion draft rules. But that team had such a great culture. It was an amazing group of guys, and we loved playing together.

It made us a better team.

A year earlier, in 1960, the Dallas Cowboys were an expansion team. They had Tom Landry as their head coach and Dandy Don Meredith at quarterback, but do you know how many games they won? None. They finished 0-11-1.

Our first year, we were 3-11. It might not sound like much, but we were competitive and could beat anybody in the league. We beat George Halas’ Bears 37-13 in our very first game. We beat John Unitas and the Baltimore Colts 28-20! We beat Deacon Jones and the L.A. Rams 42-21.

I think this year’s Vikings team has that same kind of culture, that great team atmosphere that makes everybody better. And what’s more, they have a lot of talent.

Even without Adrian Peterson, the Vikings have very talented players on defense, some good pieces on offense, and a rookie quarterback who is looking good and getting better.

The players can play, and this coaching staff can coach. Mike Zimmer is a real football guy, and he has done a great job. Norv Turner is a very good offensive coach. And the front office has been very good this year, too, bringing in talented players nobody else wanted.

Things don’t typically come together all at once in the NFL. It’s a process. After this season, I feel confident in saying the Vikings are on a winning path.

I hope the Vikings beat the Bears this week. It’s a divisional rivalry, a home game, and the Bears are a team in turmoil. But more importantly, I hope the team commits to the process.

That’s how this team can become a contender for years to come.

Fran Tarkenton is Minnesota Vikings analyst for TwinCities.com and the Pioneer Press. He is a former Vikings quarterback and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also is an advocate for small businesses. Connect with Fran at FranTarkenton.com and follow him at twitter.com/Fran_Tarkenton.