“A point or two” - Skip Bayless half-heartedly picks Tom Brady to survive critical Week 17 battle against old AFC East rival

Tom Brady has a long history of winning in key spots, but the upcoming Week 17 showdown against the 6-9 Carolina Panthers will be the earliest de facto playoff game of the quarterback's career.

Heading into the contest, the team is on shaky footing after surviving a third-string quarterback and losing in epic fashion in the two games before that.

Speaking on Undisputed, long-time Brady advocate Skip Bayless didn't even believe his words when he backed No. 12 to pull a win this weekend. Here's how he put it:

"I've hung with this team all year long, so I'm going to go ahead and pick the Buccaneers to win this game. But I can't give you one good reason for how or why they will. And if they do, they will win it by a point or two late."

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady nearing a potential foul ending to his NFL career

No.12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Arizona Cardinals

The Buccaneers quarterback is used to playing for seeding at this time of year. However, in 2022, he is playing for a simple invite. At 7-8, the quarterback is staring the playoff dance in the face and is on the edge of being kicked out.

Will Tom Brady beat Sam Darnold one more time to knock the team out of the hunt?

With a loss against the Carolina Panthers, the quarterback would be out of the playoffs and will also have locked in the first losing season of his career. Many believe this could be the quarterback's final run, so this game could effectively be his last act in the league.

With a loss, he would be going down in flames. Had he stayed retired earlier this year after a playoff loss on a near comeback to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, most agree it would leave a better final taste.

At the time of writing, Brady still has a path to recapture that ending this year, but he needs to beat his former AFC East rival Sam Darnold first.

If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Undisputed and H/T Sportskeeda.