ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing without retired receiver Calvin Johnson and is still putting up some of the best numbers of his career.

That leads to this question: Is Stafford a better quarterback now, without one of the best receivers in NFL history, than he was last season with Johnson?

"I think he's a growing and developing quarterback, so yes, I do think he was better than he was the last year, two years ago, three years ago," Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Thursday.

"Hopefully we're all getting better every year. I think he falls into that category too. But I think he's doing a really good job with what we're asking him to do and so are the receivers, tight ends and backs."

Matthew Stafford may not have all-time great Calvin Johnson to throw to any more, but Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter says Stafford is continuing to show improvement at quarterback. Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports

Stafford, through five games, is on pace for the best completion percentage (68.0), passer rating (99.6) and QBR (66.4) of his career. The Lions have replaced Johnson with a multitude of options, but the biggest addition was Marvin Jones, who is the NFL's leading receiver with 519 yards.

Stafford is also seeing things differently this season, and part of that is due to Johnson's departure.

Stafford said Wednesday that he's "not seeing as many crazy kick-to-Calvin coverages," when defenses would sometimes come up with special packages just to try to contain Johnson.

Stafford said he will see different wrinkles each Sunday, but more than ever he is seeing the defensive coverages he watches on film during the week. That was something he anticipated might happen after Johnson announced his retirement in March.

But more than anything else, Stafford might appear to be a better quarterback because of what Cooter is asking of him.

"He's really just trying to throw it to the open guy. It's as simple as that. It sounds overly simple, but it's a really big deal," Cooter said. "You know, when you have Calvin Johnson out there, one of the all-time great receivers, going to the Hall of Fame as soon as you can get him in there, it makes a lot of sense to try and throw that guy the ball. Sometimes you might override your read to do that.

"Sometimes it's easier for a quarterback [when] you have your reads, you have your progressions, you have your thought processes and you just go around throwing it to who gets open. He's doing a good job of doing that."