OAKLAND -- Working on accuracy down low and on short and intermediate passes is one thing. But to put the ball in the absolute perfect spot on a deep throw?
"Reps," Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. "Rep after rep."
As a kid, Carr said his father would have him fling the ball from 38 yards away, then from 40, 42, and 45 yards as he grew older and stronger.
"He wouldn't let me leave until I threw three perfect ones," Carr said.
Two perfect strikes followed by one off the mark?
"Do it again," was the remark.
In Saturday night's 27-14 exhibition loss to the Tennessee Titans at the Oakland Coliseum, Carr had two perfectly placed balls on long throws that elicited wonderment.
The first one was a 41-yard strike down the right sideline to Michael Crabtree on 3rd-and-3 from the Raiders' 49-yard line. Three plays later, Carr hit rookie running back DeAndre Washington for a 6-yard touchdown on a slant pass.
But people were still talking about the ball Carr delivered to Crabtree over the outstretched arms of Titans cornerback Antwon Blake.
"That's a lot of practice, man," Crabtree said. "We've been practicing the go-ball really, all the reps. The chemistry. I mean, it was a good ball. I don't think he could have thrown it any better."
Could Crabtree, who lost his helmet in the tackle while rolling over, have made a better catch?
"No such thing," he said. "A catch is a catch.
"We came out here to compete today. I felt like we did a good job of competing. We gotta see these guys Week 3, so you've got to have your mind right."
Cooper's mind was blown after the game talking about the ball Carr threw him in the second quarter for a 29-yard touchdown down the middle of the field with Jason McCourty draped over Cooper -- even if Cooper had to wait for the replay official to confirm the score that gave the Raiders a 14-13 lead after Sebastian Janikowski's successful point-after attempt.
"Man, he's one of the most accurate guys I’ve ever played with," Cooper said. "It's crazy. It's just crazy. I kind of compete with him when they do accuracy drills. There's no beating that guy. And he's competitive, too."
Then did Cooper worry that his TD would be overturned, especially with so much discrepancy on what a catch is in the modern NFL?
"Initially I didn’t have any questions because I thought I secured the catch, two feet were in and my hand was under the ball," he said. "But when I saw it in slow motion, and every time you see something in slow motion, it can look reversible.
"But I was happy it was a touchdown."
Carr finished 12 of 18 for 169 yards passing with the TD and a passer rating of 133.8.
"Hitting those (long balls) is just reps," Carr said, "... seeing where they like the ball."
On target.