Over ... and out?

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Dec 1, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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TAMPA, Fla. — Locked in a 20-all tie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 3:50 to play Sunday, New Orleans Saints center Jonathan Goodwin liked his team’s chances when they ran back onto the field at Raymond James Stadium.

The defense had just stopped the Bucs for a third straight time after the Saints tied the game on Garrett Hartley’s 43-yard field goal with 5:34 remaining and the ball was in Drew Brees’ hands.

What’s there not to like?

“That’s all you can ask for,” Goodwin said after the game. “When we began both of those drives, no one in this whole stadium could have told me that we weren’t going to score — both times.”

Yes, the Saints actually had the ball twice in the final four minutes. Needing points on just one of them, they came up empty, however, and left with a 23-20 loss to the Bucs that put a severe crimp in their playoff hopes.

Instead of the Saints scoring, the Bucs got a 37-yard field goal from Matt Bryant — which came between a pair of Brees interceptions at that critical stage of the contest.

The loss left the Saints (6-6) in last place in the NFC South, while the Bucs (9-3) retained a share of the division lead. Carolina (9-3) and Atlanta (8-4) also won Sunday, which means the Saints likely have to win all four of their remaining games to have the slightest chance at the postseason.

No one had to tell them they let one slip away on a rainy, windy afternoon.

“We had a perfect chance out there today and we didn’t take advantage of it,” said Brees. “So it’s disappointing, very disappointing. It’s probably one of the more disappointing losses I’ve ever been a part of.”

Brees definitely played a big part in it. He threw three interceptions in the second half, including one in the red zone late in the third quarter after the Bucs had taken a 20-10 lead with a pair of touchdowns after halftime, and had a season-low passer rating of 60.2.

But while the interception by strongside linebacker Cato June in the end zone denied the Saints a scoring opportunity, the ones that Brees threw late were fatal.

The first pick by strong safety Jermaine Phillips set up Bryant’s go-ahead field goal with 1:55 remaining, then cornerback Phillip Buchanon iced the Bucs’ win with 1:36 left when he stepped in front of Lance Moore.

“On the first one, the safety (Phillips) robbed the middle of the field,” explained Brees, who was trying to hit Marques Colston on a crossing pattern. “I didn’t see him until the last minute, and he stepped in there and made a nice play.