The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their playoff drought extend to 10 seasons after a disappointing 2017 campaign.

The Bucs remain in a rut after falling short of lofty expectations for the second straight year. According to Rick Stroud of Tampa Bay Times, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy voiced that he believes it starts with the players being more accountable for their own actions.

“The leaders on the team, myself, Kwon (Alexander), Jameis (Winston), myself, Mike Evans and Josh Robinson, Lavonte were all the captains. If you're a captain, or just the leaders, it's our job to make sure it gets done. And I think we did, it's not like we lacked it. We've just got to more holding guys accountable. The coaches, they can't always do it.

This is one of the issues that plagued Tampa Bay over the last couple of seasons, along with the inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. It also doesn't help that they play in a division featuring three other teams in the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons that all made the playoffs. The quality of competition in their division decreases the margin of error for the Bucs to break through to earn their first playoff appearance in over a decade.

Tampa Bay does possess some strong core pieces to lean on with McCoy, quarterback Jameis Winston, linebackers Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander, and wide receiver Mike Evans. At the same, there are some clear holes on both sides of the ball that need to be addressed in the offseason.

The recognition that a change needs to be made to their leadership approach could be a starting point for the Buccaneers to turn into a legitimate playoff contender in the NFC.