CHICAGO (AP) -- The last time Tampa Bay won a division title, Tony Dungy was just breaking into the NFL coaching ranks as a lowly assistant, Warren Sapp was in the peewee leagues and Shaun King was a 4-year-old who probably didn't even understand what football was.

Eighteen years is a long time without a title, too long for the Buccaneers' liking.

"We've been waiting on this for a long, long time," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "Now it's right in front of us, and we've got to go out and get it done."

With one game left, Tampa Bay already has its second playoff berth in the last 17 seasons locked up. But that's not good enough. A win over the Chicago Bears (6-9) on Sunday would give the Bucs (10-5) their first division title since 1981. It also would give them 11 victories for the first time in team history.

They'd still have a chance to win the division if they lose -- Minnesota would have to lose, too -- but the Bucs don't want to think about that scenario.

"That's what our focus is. We wrapped up our playoff berth, now it's time to do this," King said of winning the NFC Central. "We don't really talk about it. We just know that's what our job is."

The Bears know what their jobs are, too. Though they were eliminated from playoff contention last week and are guaranteed their sixth losing season in eight years, they'd rather not be a footnote in Tampa Bay's history.

"Truthfully, it doesn't really matter who wins the division. Whether it's Tampa or Minnesota, it's not going to be us," Bears offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer said. "But that would be nice to finish up with a win regardless of whether or not it was to keep them from winning the division.

"It's nice to end up with a win and start things off on a positive note for next year, since that's pretty much all we have to play for now."

Winning the division at 11-5 would give the Bucs a bye for the first round of the playoffs. While rest is nice, the bragging rights would be even sweeter. This was, after all, a team many picked to be third in the division behind Minnesota and Green Bay.

This also was the team everybody wrote off after it started 3-4 with losses at Minnesota, Green Bay and Detroit.

"It's more of a focus this week, because it's a reality. But it's been our goal and it's been our goal when we were 3-4," Dungy said. "We never got as depressed down here as our media did or our fans. We knew we could get it going."

In a year where the NFL has seen more weirdness than at an Elvis impersonators convention, Tampa Bay winning the NFC Central would be somewhat fitting. Who better to join St. Louis and Indianapolis than a team that's only had four winning seasons in its 24 years?

And what better matchup for the NFC title game than former Arena League refugee Kurt Warner vs. King, a rookie who was a third-stringer two months ago?

"You can't think about how gratifying it is to be in this position," Sapp said. "We knew if we just kept winning games that we would be in this position, and now's our chance to grab it."

To win the title, Tampa Bay will have to do something it's never done before: win in cold weather. The Buccaneers are 0-17 in games played when the temperature at kickoff is below 40 degrees, and six of those losses were at Soldier Field.

Oh, sure, Tampa Bay beat Cincinnati last year when it was 40, but that's tropical compared to what they'll encounter Sunday. The forecast calls for a high of 34 with lows down to 23.

"In Tampa Bay, it's 60, 70 degrees right now, and the cold will affect you," said Bears center Olin Kreutz, a Hawaii native. "Just as if we went to play there in August when it's real hot, that would affect us."

But Dungy said being cold is just a state of mind. If the Bears can handle the cold weather, the Bucs will, too.

"You ain't got to like the cold weather. You just go out and get the job done," Sapp said. "We realize that and we're going to go up with a focus and a purpose to get the job done."

TAMPA BAY Season schedule and results

CHICAGO Season schedule and results

September 12 NY Giants L 13-17 September 19 @Philadelphia W 19-5 September 26 Denver W 13-10 October 3 @Minnesota L 14-21 October 10 @Green Bay L 23-26 October 24 Chicago W 6-3 October 31 @Detroit L 3-20 November 7 @New Orleans W 31-16 November 14 Kansas City W 17-10 November 21 Atlanta W 19-10 November 28 @Seattle W 16-3 December 6 Minnesota W 24-17 December 12 Detroit W 23-16 December 19 @Oakland L 0-45 December 26 Green Bay W 29-10 January 2 @Chicago 1:00pm ET

September 12 Kansas City W 20-17 September 19 Seattle L 13-14 September 26 @Oakland L 17-24 October 3 New Orleans W 14-10 October 10 @Minnesota W 24-22 October 17 Philadelphia L 16-20 October 24 @Tampa Bay L 3-6 October 31 @Washington L 22-48 November 7 @Green Bay W 14-13 November 14 Minnesota L 24-27 November 21 @San Diego W 23-20 November 25 @Detroit L 17-21 December 5 Green Bay L 19-35 December 19 Detroit W 28-10 December 26 @St. Louis L 12-34 January 2 Tampa Bay 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited.