Matthew Stafford Explains How Calvin Johnson Influenced His No-Look Passes in New Video

Necessity is the mother of invention, and that holds true when it comes to Matthew Stafford's ability to throw no-look passes.

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback said Monday on The Pat McAfee Show he utilized the trick as a way to deceive defenses that knew he wanted to get the ball to Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

The reigning NFL MVP explained the genesis of this back in 2020 as well.

"I just tried it out in walkthroughs," he said. "Have some fun with it in practice — then just do it in game. It's just something that happens (in games). It's natural for me. You get better as it goes."

Stafford added that it's instinctual more than anything else. He's reacting to what the defense is doing mid-play.

The three-time Pro Bowler is far from the only NFL QB who can successfully pull off a no-look pass. But it's not a big group.

Perhaps the most famous of Stafford's deceptive attempts came in Super Bowl LVI. He totally froze Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell and fired a completion to Cooper Kupp over the middle.

Stafford also said back in 2020 that playing baseball helped him on the gridiron, too, because he learned better how to throw from different arm angles. That facet of his arsenal has helped to set him apart.

As Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and others have popularized no-look throws, expect to see even more imitators in the ensuing years.