Matthew Stafford has been throwing no-look passes long before they became a craze on social media. And in December’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams star reminded everyone why he still owns the no-look crown. Something Mike Macdonald and his men would be wary of when his side faces Stafford in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
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In that Thursday Night Football matchup on December 18, Stafford delivered a blitzing no-look touchdown pass to Puka Nacua in the fourth quarter, a play that helped the Rams take a commanding 30-14 lead. With the Seahawks’ coverage shaded to the outside, Stafford snapped the ball, stared down the boundary, and calmly fired the ball inside to Nacua, freezing the defender just long enough to open the throwing lane.
Tom Brady, breaking down the play in his latest YouTube video, explained that the throw wasn’t an improvisation made in the moment. It was a result of muscle memory built over the years.
Brady recalled asking Stafford how he first developed the no-look technique. Stafford described that it goes way back to his Detroit days with Calvin Johnson.
“When I played with Calvin, everybody in the world knew that’s where I wanted to throw the ball,” Stafford had told Brady. “So I had to learn how to do different things to disguise my intention.”
That would mean deliberately distracting defenders to make them look away from his real target. He stares right to throw left, or left to throw right, just to avoid drawing extra coverage to Johnson back then. Over time, it became second nature.
Brady pointed out that what makes Stafford special isn’t just the creativity, but the consistency. “He’s executed it over time,” Brady said, “and in the biggest moments.”
The New England Patriots legend didn’t hesitate to bring up what he called the most daring throw he’s ever seen Stafford make. That was a no-look laser to Cooper Kupp on third down during the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning drive against the Bengals in the 2021 season.
“That throw,” Brady said, “was one of the greatest throws in the history of the NFL.”
The Rams are preparing to face the Seahawks again, this time with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line in the NFC Championship Game. Stafford’s mastery of deception could prove pivotal there.
The December matchup itself was a classic. Stafford threw for 457 yards, while Nacua shone with 225 receiving yards, including two touchdowns. The duo connected on a 41-yard strike in overtime that briefly gave the Rams the edge. However, Seattle escaped with the win.
The upcoming clash between the Rams and Seahawks has the potential to become the most competitive NFC Championship Game we’ve seen in 47 years, according to DVOA. By nearly every objective measure, these are the two best teams in the NFL, which makes their collision at this stage both thrilling and slightly cruel.
One of them will fall just short of the Super Bowl… Not because they weren’t worthy, but because the league’s two most complete teams were forced to meet one game too early.
