The comments weren't contrived, uttered out of obligation.

Coach Brad Childress, Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson and vice presidents Rob Brzezinski and Rick Spielman were among those who applauded what the Wilf-led ownership group has provided the Vikings.

The highlight of the amped-up postgame locker room for Peterson?

"Just seeing the owner with a big smile on his face," he said. "It was emotional."

And for Spielman, who was essential in evaluating and securing free agents such as Jared Allen, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe?

"Thank God we have the ownership that we have, that's willing to step forth and put up some financial commitments to get the players in here," Spielman said.

In an age in which NFL coaches are quickly hired and fired, the Wilfs never -- at least publicly -- wavered in their support of Childress, Brzezinski and Spielman.

Zygi and Mark Wilf remained steadfast when Shiancoe struggled through the 2007 season, hampered by key drops; when the Vikings staggered to the finish last season, losing their final two games; and when they started this season 1-3 and headed to the bye week with a 3-4 record.

"You have to be patient in this business," Mark Wilf said. "We've followed this game as fans for many years. We feel coach Childress and all the Football people we have here are the right people.

"I know fans can be impatient at times, but we wanted to stick to it, and we felt that this was the group we wanted to stick to."

There have been plenty of well-documented growing pains since the group purchased the team from Red McCombs in 2005, yet they continued to green-light aggressive and expensive decisions such as the signing of Steve Hutchinson, Kevin Williams, E.J. Henderson, Allen and Berrian.

"You build toward something. This was our goal from Day One," Wilf said. "To see it come together, this is the first step, and we want to stay at this level."

Monday, still wearing his gray hat, Zygi Wilf watched Childress' news conference, then fielded questions.

He acknowledged the ups and downs of building a program, and expressed pride that "every single game, win or lose, we're always there fighting to the end."

"This is a work in progress," Zygi Wilf said. "Everyone has to improve. Players, staff, coaches, owners. Like I said before, our goal is to be a long-term, competitive organization, that everybody knows that they're going to have a fight on their hands."

As safety Darren Sharper was preparing to leave the locker room Sunday, wearing three of the gray hats, he noted that this is why he left Green Bay to sign with the team in 2005, although he expected to get into the postseason before now.

"This is why we all came to Minnesota," he said. "To bring championships here. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but we're still playing in January, and that's a good feeling to have."

Brzezinski, in his 10th season with the Vikings, said Sunday that the organization has finally gotten "over the hump," a reference to several late-season collapses, including in 2007.

"I just think it's a great win for the entire organization," Childress said. "Gratifying? I don't know. It's just nice to see a vision come true, but with the same token you know that success is never final. There's a game at the end of this week."

And for that, the Vikings are grateful.