Filed to print . . .



Derek Carr is learning to play the game within the game.



In the Raiders’ 24-13 win over the 49ers, one play stood out in terms of Carr’s development. On the stat sheet, it was a 27-yard gain to Mychal Rivera over the middle.

On the field, it was a bit of deception not often seen from 23-year-old rookie quarterback.

As Carr rolled to his left to escape pressure, he kept his eye on the 49ers defender as well as his receiver in what amounted to a shell game.

“He was looking at me and he was looking at Mike,” Carr said Wednesday. “When he was looking at Mike, I was able to point and Mike was able to break it off just as he was looking back at me.”

Coming off his best day as an NFL quarterback (22 of 28, 254 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions), Carr is now seeking the first road win of his NFL career in a rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Raiders coach Tony Sparano finds the subtleties and nuances from Carr such as the Rivera pass against the 49ers to be encouraging. It tells Sparano that Carr not only had chemistry with Rivera, but understood the opposing defense perfectly.

“He’s starting to be able to play with the secondary a little bit with his eyes,” Sparano said. “He’s more definitive on what he’s doing with the ball before the snap. He’s at a point where he gets the play, and a picture is being drawn in his head immediately.”

Rivera said Carr has sorted out his myriad responsibilities and able to process things quicker than earlier in the season.

“He’s got so much to think about before the play,” Rivera said. “He’s got to check the play, look at the blitzes, the coverages. He’s just comfortable right now.”

Carr said he was taught to look off receivers in college but that in the NFL it’s done on a different level.

“You’re not just moving safeties, you’re moving linebackers,” Carr said. “You can keep your eyes inside for corners to overlap and go outside. It’s been cool to learn because your eyes can dictate a lot of throws being open _ especially in zone coverages.”

Second-year running back Latavius Murray said Carr’s command of the huddle is total.

“It’s hard to tell he was a rookie if you don’t know already,” Murray said. “He’s a guy that’s a great leader and acts like he’s been around for awhile.”

Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe told Bay Area reporters by conference call Carr’s performance in the first meeting came as no surprise.

“He’s a really good quarterback who doesn’t take a lot of sacks and knows how to move in the pocket,” Poe said. “He doesn’t play like a rookie at all. It really wasn’t a secret, though. We that from watching film on him.”

— Sparano has scheduled this week’s practices so the Raiders will be starting at 10 a.m. each day to simulate the noon start in Kansas City that will be two hours earlier according to their body clocks.

The Raiders may end up having Thursday’s practice off-site at an undisclosed indoor location if storms make outdoor work impossible.

“We have some alternate plans if that has to happen,” Sparano said.

— Cornerback Tarell Brown (foot), tackle Menelik Watson (foot-ankle) and wide receiver Denarius Moore (foot-ankle) did not practice. Moore, inactive the last two games, was injured away from the facility according to Sparano.

Also missing practice was wide receiver Rod Streater, whose surgically-repaired foot was sore. Streater, on the injured reserve/designated for return list, will be re-evaluated Thursday and must be activated by next week if he is to play again this season

— Linebacker Sio Moore wasn’t interested in rehashing his confrontations with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on the field and in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.

“I can’t bring last week in here on a Wednesday when we’re focusing on Kansas City,” Moore said.

— Carr extended his thoughts and prayers to Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who is on the non-football injurylist as he battles Hodgkin lymphoma.

“My wife and I, we’ll definitely be praying for him because that’s serious, that’s real life,” Carr said. “We wish him the best.”