Ain’t It the Truth: Saints Fall

Every so often, another New Orleans Saint muttered a cuss word under his breath, breaking the silence but not the melancholy in the locker room.

The Saints couldn’t fathom how they had just out-bungled the NFL’s biggest bunglers, possibly costing them a playoff spot.

New Orleans played more like the league’s worst team Sunday, losing, 20-13, to the Cincinnati Bengals. Nick Luchey scored two late touchdowns that will torment New Orleans for a week -- and maybe much longer.

“It’s a big, strong gut-check about us now,” said Aaron Brooks, who failed to complete his last 11 passes.

New Orleans (9-6) fell behind Atlanta (9-5-1) and the New York Giants (9-6) for the last two playoff berths. The Saints, to get in the playoffs, have to beat Carolina on Sunday and hope the Falcons or Giants lose. The New Orleans loss also handed the NFC South title to Tampa Bay, which plays Pittsburgh tonight.

It came down to the Saints’ inability to put away the Bengals (2-13) -- the league’s symbol of ineptitude.

“Everything was in our court today, but we were the Aints and they weren’t the Bungles,” tackle Kyle Turley said after the Saints’ third consecutive loss.

They were known as the Aints during their 20-year run without a winning season. Only eight days ago, they were poised to clinch their second playoff berth in three years.

Then they made a trip down memory lane, blowing fourth-quarter leads against last-place teams.

Daunte Culpepper’s touchdown pass and two-point conversion run with five seconds left gave Minnesota a victory last Sunday, denying the Saints a chance to clinch on their home field.

This time, the Bengals pulled one out with their best player on the bench. Corey Dillon bruised his left elbow, leaving it to Luchey -- who changed his name from Nick Williams before the season -- to provide the next gut wrench for the Saints

Williams’ three-yard touchdown run with 1:46 to play gave the Bengals their first home victory this season and their first win over an established team. The other came against expansion Houston.

Losing to Minnesota was bad. This was beyond belief for the Saints.

“It’s embarrassing,” receiver Joe Horn said. “Everybody in the nation and their mamas knows that. We shouldn’t be in this situation. We’re making all these teams out of the playoffs feel good about their off-season.”

Well, it made the Bengals feel good about themselves for one day.

“I don’t understand why we weren’t doing it all year,” linebacker Brian Simmons said. “That’s the confusing part of this year.”