(My Sportsbook) - The Saints came up on the short end of a 20-19 decision in Jacksonville last week. The game's ending was one of the most memorable in NFL history, and representative of the highs and lows of New Orleans' season.

The "River City Relay" earned the NFL's "Play of the Week" honors and is eligible to be selected as the league's "Play of the Year," which will be awarded at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.

With six seconds left in the game and the Saints trailing by a touchdown, Aaron Brooks hit Donte' Stallworth with a 42-yard pass, Stallworth then ran across the field and flipped the ball to Michael Lewis, who gained seven yards and pitched it back to Deuce McAllister for five yards. McAllister was nearly brought down before tossing it back to Jerome Pathon, who ran the final 21 yards for the touchdown.

However, kicker John Carney pushed the potential game-tying extra point wide right on the final play of regulation.

"The thing that I thought was heads-up by our players was Donte' made a nice catch, broke a couple of tackles, got in the open and threw a lateral to another skill player, Michael [Lewis], who made some people miss and he tossed it to another skill person, Deuce [McAllister]," said head coach Jim Haslett. "Deuce really made a heads-up play looking for somebody to throw to back across the field as a [backward] pass to Jerome [Pathon]. What happens when you get in those situations and you start to lateral to people invariably someone laterals to a lineman and the play ends. Our linemen did a nice job of running down the field picking up blocks and Aaron [Brooks] threw the key block for Jerome to score the touchdown but it was great effort by everybody."

Haslett's future in New Orleans is clouded, as his club was eliminated from playoff contention on Carney's failed PAT.

"I told John that sometimes in life, fate deals you a bad hand," said Haslett. "I would have never guessed John missed the kick, it wasn't the hold or the snap, he just missed the kick and it something that John is going to have to deal with. He will overcome it and I think he will be better for it.

"He is going to need help from the players and the coaches and everybody believes in him and still thinks he is a good kicker. It was just an unfortunate thing to happen. That was the deciding factor in the game because of where it happened, but there were a lot of opportunities before that for us to win the game or not."

DOUBLE DOWN: After an amazing streak of nine consecutive 100-yard games, McAllister has struggled in his last three outings. The Saints' most potent offensive weapon racked up 1,190 rushing yards over that nine-game span, averaging 132.2 yards per game during the streak that produced seven rushing scores.

However, McAllister hasn't gained more than 80 yards in any one game over the last three weeks. His streak was broken in Week 14 by Tampa Bay, which held him to 69 yards on 22 carries. He was limited to 15 carries for 80 yards in the Week 15 blowout victory over the Giants. Last week, McAllister had 50 yards on 21 attempts versus Jack Del Rio's Jaguars.

"On offense, we did not run the ball very well," Haslett said. "They did a good job stuffing us on the run, but we threw the ball extremely well. Aaron Brooks was sharp along with the receivers. We moved the ball up and down the field throwing the ball but we couldn't put points on the board."

Brooks burned Jacksonville for 296 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He has consecutive 296-yard games and has passed for 10 TDs and no interceptions over his last five contests.