Fair or Foul: Ex-Lions DE Lawrence Jackson Compares Matthew Stafford to Dan Marino

Ex-Lions DE Lawrence Jackson compared Matthew Stafford to Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino Tuesday morning. Is the comparison fair or foul?

Matthew Stafford being mentioned in the same breath as Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino ... blasphemous, right?

Not the case, according to former NFL defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who spent three seasons in Detroit from 2010-12.

Jackson shared his thoughts on Stafford, and made the comparison of the Lions veteran quarterback to Marino during an interview on 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday morning.

"He (Stafford) has one of the top arms in NFL history, if you're being unbiased and truthful. I think that his record and his performance, like Dan Marino, will be unfairly criticized," Jackson said.

Sure, Marino had a strong arm, just like Stafford does now.

However, there are a lot of problems you're going to get into when comparing Stafford to Marino. 

First, Marino made it to a Super Bowl, losing to fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana and the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. 

Meanwhile, Stafford has still yet to win a single playoff game going into his 12th season in the league.

Marino was also a three-time first-team All-Pro quarterback and the winner of the NFL MVP in 1984 -- additional accolades that Stafford has failed to garner and is unlikely to accumulate at the age of 32 and coming off a back ailment that sidelined him for half of the 2019 campaign.

Even after being pressed by The Ticket's Mike Stone about the validity of the comparison, Jackson was steadfast in his praise for his former teammate.

He added, "If you take away the name, the uniform and just take a look at the quarterback in the pocket, would you say this guy is way less of a quarterback than Dan Marino?"

Yes, I actually would. 

Sure, Stafford has thrown for a ton of yards, including 4,000-plus yards each season from 2011-17. He even threw for 5,000-plus yards (5,038) and 41 touchdowns in 2011.

But, Marino has also done all of that and then some.

He had one less 4,000-plus yard passing season, but he also put up his prolific numbers during a time when the NFL wasn't nearly as much of a passer-friendly league. The rules were different, and weren't as protective of the quarterback.

He also had two seasons of throwing for more than 40 touchdowns, including during his MVP campaign when he threw for a career-high 48 TD passes.

Subsequently, there is truly no comparison to be made between the two passers.

Stafford's been a good quarterback for the majority of his time in the NFL, but he surely has not been of the same caliber of quarterback as Marino.

Related

Ex-Lions TE Luke Wilson Aids in Merging Veterans and NFL Players

SI Lions Roundtable: Will the Lions Carry 3 Quarterbacks?

Early Look at Detroit Lions Starters

Lions are "Dark Horse" to Win NFC North

4 Worst Calls That Have Gone against the Lions

Matthew Stafford's Man Cave Has 'Lounge Feel'