Chiefs’ Alex Smith gets faint praise from Raiders’ Jack Del Rio

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass against the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 16, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) less OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: Alex Smith #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass against the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 16, 2016 in Oakland, California. ... more Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Chiefs’ Alex Smith gets faint praise from Raiders’ Jack Del Rio 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

Alex Smith is 8-1 against the Raiders after Sunday’s win and he married a former Raiderette, so he doesn’t really need their respect.

But the Chiefs’ quarterback thoroughly outplayed Raiders counterpart Derek Carr at the Oakland Coliseum, and deserved a little better from Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio.

“If he’s got to rely on throwing the ball, it’s really not his strong suit, but if you allow them to run the ball, do some of their gimmicky things, then he comes to life,” Del Rio said. “That’s what they were able to do today.”

Like every other team that has faced the Raiders, the Chiefs did have success with misdirection plays, and they ran some option. But Smith missed on only three of his 22 passes and more than a couple were flat-out strikes.

“The mix today — not just run and pass mix,” Smith said, but the “balance within the run game, seeing misdirection, inside-outside, in the pass game, quick screens, throwing the ball downfield and stretching the field — that’s what we hang our hat on.”

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Smith committed no turnovers. Carr threw an interception and Kansas City recovered one of his two fumbles. The pick was a mind-numbingly bad decision to throw off his back foot in the rain deep to Michael Crabtree. Carr wasn’t close and Marcus Peters intercepted it to set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown.

“I knew that he wouldn’t be able to throw the ball that far,” the Oakland native said. “I knew the ball was going to hang. So as soon as (Crabtree) got past me, I just looked up.”

Play-calling: Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. might not be on the hot seat yet, but there is a chair and a Bunsen burner in Del Rio’s closet.

In Week 3, Del Rio made a point of mentioning that he had taken over the defensive play-calling late in the game. Sunday, after another dismal performance by the league’s worst unit, the head coach was asked if he was involved in the play-calling against the Chiefs.

“No, no,” he said. “Kenny’s got the headset.”

The players, meanwhile, tipped their cap to the Kansas City coaches.

“Kansas City had a great game plan,” linebacker Bruce Irvin said. “Hats off to them. They did a lot of disguising to make us believe one thing and then they did other things.”

Briefly: Sebastian Janikowski missed a 52-yard field-goal try in the slop in the second quarter, which caused Del Rio to forgo a 49-yard attempt later and go for it unsuccessfully on fourth down. Which he regretted when Janikowski made a 46-yarder at the end of the half. ... For all of Carr’s issues, he did lead a nifty 44-yard, 25-second drive to set up that kick. … Perry Riley got the start at inside linebacker but former starter Malcolm Smith replaced him late. … The Raiders ran the ball 17 times for 65 yards, but somehow productive fullback and mudder Jamize Olawale didn’t get a single touch. Starting running back Latavius Murray is expected back next Sunday after missing two games with a toe injury.

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.