By Joe Kay
The Associated Press

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

The Saints 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 misfired on his last 11 passes during a second-half meltdown.

New Orleans (9-6) fell behind Atlanta and the New York Giants in the push for the last two playoff berths. The Falcons and Giants both won Sunday, so the Saints have to beat Carolina next week and hope one of them loses.

The loss also handed the NFC South title to Tampa Bay, which plays Pittsburgh on Monday night.

It came down to the Saints' inability to put away the Bengals (2-13), who hadn't won at home all season and had become the league's symbol of ineptitude.

"Everything was in our court today, but we were the Aints and they weren't the Bungles," said left tackle Kyle Turley after the Saints' third-straight loss.

They were known as the Aints during their 20-year run without a winning season. Just 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 2-point conversion run with 5 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.

His 3-yard 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.

"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 offseason."

Coach Jim Haslett said the Saints - who had only one timeout left - let Luchey score on the final run so they'd have more time when they got the ball back. Brooks finished it by throwing four incompletions, leaving him 0-for-7 in the fourth quarter.

He wasn't alone in letting it slip. Boo Williams dropped a potential touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, and the Saints had five fumbles - the kinds of things the Bengals usually do.

"That wasn't us out there today," Haslett said.

It was more like the Aints.

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