Through it all, Tony Dungy remained calm and led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first NFC Central title in 18 years.

The Bucs (11-5) won eight of their last nine games to overcome a slow start, finish with a franchise record for regular-season victories, and silence critics of the fourth-year coach and his assistants.

They did it despite three quarterback changes, two because of injuries, and an offense that sputtered much of the year before getting a lift from rookie Shaun King down the stretch.

"We have won in some unorthodox ways," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "But it just shows the perseverance of this team, that we'll find a way to get the job done."

The team has relied heavily on one of the league's top defenses. However, Sapp and others said the main reason the team has been able to bounce back from a disappointing 8-8 finish in 1998, as well as a 3-4 start this season, is Dungy.

The players like the coach's low-key personality, which they say was a calming influence that made it easier to focus on what they needed to do to turn the season around.

"He's the most level-headed man I've ever been around in my life. And, he's not going to change. That's always been his thing. He's going to ask us to have some expectations and go out and execute," Sapp said.

"I think his biggest asset is his consistency that he shows all the time, every time," linebacker Derrick Brooks added. "Through all the tough times we've had, he's been able to keep this team together. I think that goes unnoticed."

The toughest part of the season, Dungy said, was changing quarterbacks three times.

The coach reluctantly benched Trent Dilfer, ending the quarterback's streak of 70 consecutive starts, only to have to reinstate him when backup Eric Zeier was injured in the next game.

A injury to Dilfer forced the coach to turn to King, the second-round draft pick Dungy was hoping he wouldn't have to play this year. The rookie finished Dilfer's last victory, at Seattle on Nov. 28, then went 4-1 down the stretch.

The coach, however, doesn't think he's done his best job of coaching. The Bucs rebounded from losing eight of their first nine games in 1996, then made the playoffs the following season after a 15-year absence.

Those two seasons, he said, layed the foundation that helped the team handle the adversity of 1999.

"This was a big year for us because we all felt inside this organization that we took a step backwards last year. And that was the plan, to get to the point where you are competing with the best teams in the NFL, where you are a contender and have a legitimate shot to win the division title," Dungy said.

"It does feel good to have made progress to come from a point where we hadn't been in the playoffs in years and years to now we've been in two out of three, and just miss the other year. I think we're making progress. Now we've got to take the next step."

That opportunity comes Saturday when the Bucs face the Washington Redskins in a NFC divisional playoff game at Raymond James Stadium. A victory would move the team one win away from the Super Bowl for the first time since 1979.

Regardless of the outcome, Sapp hopes Dungy will begin to receive the recognition he deserves for taking over a team that hadn't had a winning season since 1982 and getting them this far.

"You come into an organization that had 13 straight losing seasons. He's had one in four, so that's a pretty good mark," Sapp said, adding that bothers him that some high-profile coaches have attracted more attention while accomplishing less.