Saints beginning to sense mortality

The atmosphere in the Saints locker room resembled the inside of a funeral home following Sunday’s 16-13 loss to Carolina.

As players somberly recanted the details of a game that slipped away from them in the waning minutes, they were confronted with a sobering realization.

Their season might officially be dead.

&#8220Right now we just don’t know how to win,” said Reggie Bush, who finished with 67 yards on the ground and 52 in the air. &#8220We have to find that, whatever it is, or whatever the reason is.”

New Orleans headed into the fourth quarter with a 13-6 advantage and a prime opportunity to add insurance points when Olindo Mare lined up for a 20-yard field goal.

At that moment, they still had a pulse.

But Mare’s kick was blocked and recovered by the Panthers, who drove the ball downfield to set up their first touchdown – a 17-yard toss from David Carr to Steve Smith.

Mare had a chance to put his team ahead again with a 54-yard attempt at the 2:14 mark, but missed wide left.

He finished the game 2-for-4 against Carolina and has now flubbed four field goals this season.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees supported coach Sean Payton’s decision to go for the points instead of punting it away.

&#8220Our kicker’s got the leg,” he said. &#8220You have to play to win, and that’s obviously a risk-reward deal. If you miss it, you obviously give them great field position.”

The Panthers capitalized on the ensuing drive by completing three first downs to set up a Kasay’s third field goal, a 52-yarder, as time expired.

Kasay and his teammates celebrated at midfield.

The Saints, once ballyhooed as a preseason favorite to make the Super Bowl, lumbered quietly off the field at 0-4.

&#8220We’re all looking for answers here,” said Brees, who finished 29-of-47 for 252 yards and two interceptions. &#8220There were about five occasions in this game where something happened and you just said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ It was just one of those days.”

New Orleans’ offense looked slightly better than it did in weeks past, thanks to Brees and Bush. The Saints outgained Carolina, 341-243, and won the time-of-possession battle by more than 10 minutes.

Costly penalties and dropped passes, however, killed their chances of getting that elusive first win.

&#8220To watch that game unfold the way it did, and for us to be sitting here with a loss is sickening,” Payton said. &#8220So we’re going to take a look at who’s doing what and spend some time with that.”

Brees had a particularly hard time stomaching Sunday’s loss.

&#8220We should have won this game – we had this game won,” he said. &#8220This game was in the bag, and we let it out of the bag, and it’s frustrating. The other three, we just got beat. Today, we gave it away.”

Should any more games be &#8220given away,” Bush is aware that the coffin holding the Saints 2007 season might be closed for good.

&#8220We have to have the mentality that when the game is on the line, you’ve got to make that play,” he said. &#8220No more excuses. No more this or that. Somebody has to step up and make things happen, and that’s the only chance we’re going to have to win.”

New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper can’t stop the catch by Carolina Panthers receiver Keary Colbert in the first half of their football game in the Superdome in New Orleans Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Ann Heisenfelt