Redskins 16, Saints 10 n but N.O. still division champs

The wait to be part of a playoff team is over for sixth-year pro Deuce McAllister.

Yet, he seems bothered that he still doesn’t know what it’s like to have double-digit wins in one season.

New Orleans (9-5) qualified the playoffs for the first time since 2000, but officially did so by default on Sunday, losing 16-10 to the Washington Redskins while the Saints’ only remaining pursuer in the NFC South, Carolina, was eliminated from the division race by a loss to Pittsburgh.

For the city and organization, we are happy to be going to the playoffs and to be able to clinch the NFC South, but at the same time you have to look at this game and wonder, ‘How much did we improve?’ McAllister said. When you go into the playoffs you want to be on a roll. Now we’ve got two games to get our act together.

The Redskins (5-9) are already out of postseason contention, but apparently not out of desire. They punished the Saints with a powerful running attack that racked up 161 yards, while their defense contained Reggie Bush and harassed league-leading passer Drew Brees.

I have never been prouder of a bunch of guys, with everything that has happened to us this year, Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. It was a fight. It was a pride game for us. … They played as hard as they could play.

Coming off a career-high 171 yards a week earlier, Ladell Betts gained 119 on 22 carries, while blossoming quarterback Jason Campbell outplayed Brees.

Campbell threw for 204 yards and a 31-yard touchdown to Santana Moss, and Shaun Suisham kicked two field goals of 37 yards and another of 22 to keep New Orleans at arm’s length.

It really shows our heart and character, Campbell said. Even with our record we keep playing to win.

Betts, filling in since Clinton Portis was lost for the season with a broken hand, also had 43 yards on three catches.

New Orleans is still clinging to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, having beaten Dallas (9-5) last week. Clinching a first-round bye just got a little harder than expected, however.

After the loss, Saints players seemed no mood to wear the hats or T-shirts commemorating their NFC South title, in spite of what simply going to the playoffs should mean for a team that was 3-13 last season.

I won’t be celebrating at all tonight if that’s what you’re wondering, Brees said. I have the shirt. I have the hat. They’re in my bag. I’ll go home and I’ll put them in my closet.

Our standards are higher than maybe what you would think, Brees said. We won the division. That’s great, but it came in a loss. We still have more things now that we want to accomplish.

Brees, who has played his way to MVP contention by leading the league in yards passing, was intercepted by Carlos Rogers in the fourth quarter and finished 21-of-38 for 207 yards. He was hurried on many plays, sacked twice and he did not throw a touchdown pass.

The Redskins held Bush to only 14 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving. McAllister scored the Saints’ lone touchdown on a short run, but finished with only 48 yards rushing.

Despite struggling to score, New Orleans was in the game until the end. Bush’s 15-yard gain on a screen gave the Saints a first down on the Washington 19 in the last 2 minutes. But the drive stalled when Brees’ fourth-down pass for Terrance Copper in the end zone fell incomplete.

We were flat, Saints coach Sean Payton said. I wish I had an explanation. I don’t have one for you. … I thought we had a good week of practice. Evidently, I was wrong. It starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job getting these guys ready because we were half-asleep.

The Redskins dominated early but led only 13-7 at halftime because of the same type of untimely mistakes that have plagued them all season.

Campbell fumbled a snap for no gain on a third-and-1 from the New Orleans 14 and Gibbs settled for a field goal on the game’s first drive.

Later, two straight false starts squandered a second-and-2 at the New Orleans 11, leading to another field goal.

But the Redskin’s lone TD drive could not have been much cleaner as they went 80 yards in only four plays.

Chris Cooley set up the score, turning a short pass into a 44-yard gain to the Saints 31. On the next snap, Campbell went down the middle to Moss, who split defenders Mike McKenzie and Fred Thomas in the back of the end zone, giving Washington a 10-0 lead.

Notes:@ Betts has rushed for 549 yards in his last four games. … The Saints played without receiver Joe Horn (groin), who missed his second straight game, as well as starting safety Omar Stoutmire and tight end Mark Campbell, who both had minor knee injuries in a victory over Dallas a week ago.