Culverhouse was initially lauded for bringing professional football to the Tampa Bay area, but eventually came to be blamed for the team's struggles. His refusal to pay Doug Williams at a salary level comparable to that of the league's top quarterbacks stirred resentment among fans, and marked the beginning of the team's decline during the 1980s. It further led to the belief that Culverhouse was more concerned with fielding a profitable team than a winning one. The Buccaneers' NFL-record streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons contributed to this perception, although Culverhouse did make several notable attempts to improve the team.