Mad Dog Russo compares Lamar Jackson's playoff failures to Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens sent a message to the NFL after their 33-19 beatdown of the San Francisco 49ers. However, it appears that Mad Dog Russo isn't buying the hype.
With the win, the Ravens move to 12-3 on the season and look to grab the No. 1 seed in the AFC. This means the road to the Super Bowl would run through Baltimore in the AFC.
So, we can all agree that the Ravens look, right now, like the team to beat. But there are question marks over Jackson that Mad Dog Russo wants answered before he crowns him.
Mad Dog Russo wants Lamar Jackson to perform in the playoffs
The Ravens have punched their ticket to the postseason and, in all likelihood, will have home playoff games. This gives them an inside track to make it to the Super Bowl.
Despite Jackson's exploits this season that could win him his second MVP award, Russo feels Jackson should perform in the playoffs. He compares Jackson to L.A. Dodgers pitcher (current free agent) Clayton Kershaw on ESPN's First Take:
"[02:55] Well, listen, in all sports, there is a regular season performance level, and a postseason performance level. A perfect example I'll bring up the baseball is Clayton Kershaw, who is a great three-time Cy Young Award winner."
"He's got an era of 2.48 in the regular season, is era in the postseason is for 4.45. And he's going to the Hall of Fame. And he is one of the great pitchers in the history of the sport. Yet in the postseason he can't pitch and he's had a million starts now."
"Listen, until Lamar does it in the postseason, can we pull can we put the brakes on just a bit? And he's going to win the MVP deserves it. And give him a little break as far as a couple of those games in postseason play last year, he didn't play."
"He's one and three in the postseason. His quarterback rating is not great in the postseason, and this year there is a huge boulder on that franchise's back, they should win the AFC."
Can Lamar Jackson finally get it done in the playoffs?
That is the biggest question for Lamar Jackson to answer this season. With Todd Monken's scheme, Lamar has his best chance, given how other AFC contenders are performing right now.
Jackson has been to the playoffs just three times in his six NFL seasons. And in his first two playoff games, he went one-and-done before finally winning one in 2020.
So now, with the Ravens looking to have the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Jackson will likely get multiple home games to try and get it done.
Lamar Jackson is 5-2 at home this season, which will help in the playoffs. But once they roll around, he will need to continue to perform at the level he is now.
Will he be able to do it? Only time will tell.