Owens Is Critical of Mariucci’s Strategy

Three days later, Terrell Owens still was irritated by the one that got away--and the way in which it escaped.

Owens, the NFC’s second-leading receiver, vented his views Wednesday on the team’s play-calling and execution during San Francisco’s 37-31 overtime loss at Chicago, in which the 49ers blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter.

In particular, Owens strongly criticized the 49ers’ strategy in the fourth quarter. Owens felt San Francisco simply tried to run time off the clock instead of attacking the Bears--and he suggested that Coach Steve Mariucci’s longtime friendship with Chicago Coach Dick Jauron might have been the reason.

“Hopefully, Coach now, he’ll change his mentality about us really destroying teams now,” Owens said. “I think it’s funny, but ... his buddy system with all the coaches around the league, I think he tries to spare them sometimes. He doesn’t want to embarrass a team.”

Mariucci didn’t quite know what to make of Owens’ comments.

“He knows that a lot of the coaches in this league are connected,” Mariucci said. “He knows that we have respect for the game and respect for each other. He knows that we play to win, no question about that. He’s probably saying some things tongue in cheek.

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Quarterback Rick Mirer, the former No. 2 overall draft pick who was cut by the 49ers shortly before the regular season, re-signed with the club.

When starter Jeff Garcia sprained his knee in Chicago, the 49ers decided to sign Mirer.

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The Dallas Cowboys signed offensive tackle Aaron Gibson, a day after the Detroit Lions released him.

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Carolina defensive end Jay Williams lashed out at the team’s coaching staff, saying he wants to play every down or play somewhere else.

Williams, who led the team in sacks last season with six, was benched last week against the New York Jets and replaced by Sean Gilbert.

“When they told me about the change last week, I felt like I was smacked in the face and spit on,” Williams said.

“I felt like I wasn’t given the opportunity to show what I can do.”

Williams started the first six games for the Panthers, but recorded only 16 tackles and one sack while playing mostly on first and second downs.

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NFL owners ratified a three-year extension of the labor agreement that will assure the league of labor peace through the 2007 season, assuming that the players ratify it.

The extension was agreed to in principle in June by the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association and would be the fourth extension of the original agreement reached in 1993. The league’s last labor-related interruption was the 1987 strike.

Among the still-to-be-resolved issues before the agreement can be ratified by the players is how much of the NFL’s increased security costs the union will pick up, and how the league and the players would divide any losses if games are canceled by unforeseen events such as the terrorist attacks.

The owners, meeting in Pittsburgh, also approved the latest deal designed to keep the Saints in New Orleans for the next 10 years.

The total package, unveiled in late September, is worth $186.5 million to the team through 2010, with steep increases in the amounts due in the final five years.

The Louisiana state Legislature will be asked to sign off on the proposal this spring, at which time lawmakers might find that even getting together the money for the first-year payment will take some financial shuffling.

The agreement calls for the state to pay the Saints $12.5 million by the beginning of July.