Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Skip Bayless compares Tom Brady to Michael Jordan after TB12's huge game vs. Panthers

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 1/2/23

On the Monday morning edition of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," co-host Skip Bayless gave the ultimate praise to Tampa Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady following the team's 30-24 win over the Carolina Panthers.

After nearly four months of up-and-down play, Brady saved his best performance of the season for the crucial Week 17 NFC South matchup, which gave the Bucs the division crown. "TB12" went 34-for-45 for a season-high 432 passing yards with three touchdowns and 0 interceptions, recording a season-best 127.3 quarterback rating and adding three rushing attempts for four yards and one touchdown as well.

Noting that the monster effort came on the first day of 2023, Bayless said Brady "went 23, as in Michael Jordan" and the clutch game was "Jordan-esque." The outspoken Brady supporter said that even at 45 years old, the former Michigan quarterback still has "as clutch a killer will as we've ever seen" in the NFL.

"On the first day of 23, Tom Brady went 23, as in Michael Jordan, on the Carolina Panthers in a win or basically go home game."

— @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/XkQKGDhTXE
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) January 2, 2023

Four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans (a favorite target of Brady's) also broke out of a prolonged slump on Sunday, erupting for season highs in receptions (10), receiving yards (207) and receiving touchdowns (three). Evans' scores came from 63, 57 and 30 yards out, and his huge game put him over 1,000 receiving yards for the ninth straight season.

The 29-year-old wideout hadn't had more than five catches or 100 receiving yards in a game since Week 8 and hadn't scored since Week 4. His trio of touchdowns doubled his season total from three to six.

With the win and division title in hand, Tampa Bay (8-8) has secured the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, but don't yet know their opponent for the Wild Card round.

More must-reads: