NEW ORLEANS -- The Carolina Panthers finally closed.

The shame of it was, they were already finished before kickoff, and their opponent barely bothered to start.

The Panthers beat New Orleans 31-21 on Sunday at the Louisiana Superdome, not that it really mattered or anyone from the home side cared.

"You usually get what you deserve in this business," Panthers coach John Fox said. "We dug ourselves that hole. We were relying on other people.

"Sometimes when you want things done the best, you do them yourself. We weren't able to do that.

The Panthers had been eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night when New York beat Washington. The Saints had already clinched the NFC's second seed and a first-round bye, so they rested a load of starters and pulled many more before halftime, willing to concede the battle to the Panthers to prepare for the coming war.

Nevertheless, the league mandated that they play the game, so the Panthers went ahead and did many of the things they hadn't lately.

Jake Delhomme looked good in his return from a thumb injury, renewing his connection with Steve Smith for two touchdowns en route to a season-high scoring day. Yet when he stepped to the podium to talk about it, he mostly shrugged.

The Panthers defense made a few plays, with Chris Gamble picking off a pass and returning it for a touchdown, and rookie linebacker James Anderson setting up a score with a sack-fumble combo. Yet there wasn't much laughter in the locker room.

They even ran the ball a little without reaching into the bag of desperation tricks like last week -- though there were a few wrinkles.

Granted, they did it against a half-strength Saints squad, but after what they've been through this year, the Panthers weren't apologizing for anything.

But they couldn't enjoy it all that much. The locker room was a quiet one, as they dressed quickly and headed home to celebrate the new year with their loved ones.

Maybe turning the page on 2006 might be the best medicine for them right now, since this season started going wrong from the start and never turned around.

"That it's over. The feeling that the we were oh-so-close," Smith said quietly when asked about the team's mood. "It's very disappointing. Last year, going to the NFC Championship Game, a couple years ago going to the Super Bowl, and we just aren't that team that has a good feeling at the end. That's what sticks with you at the end.

"You just want to be the team that can smile about it at the end. Not be the one saying we've got to work harder next year."

Because of such feelings, the relief of winning their last game was a brief respite. The hurt will settle in soon enough.

The meaningless game wasn't supposed to be in this direction. But after a hail of early injuries -- and streaks of inconsistent play that prevented them from overcoming them -- the Panthers were left in this spot.

From popular Super Bowl picks in August to planning for the draft five months later, there's been a sense of whiplash among the players, as if they're not quite sure how it all happened.

"You know 8-8 is just not good enough with the people we have in this locker room," veteran defensive end Al Wallace said. "It's a bittersweet feeling to be going out there to play not to have a losing season with this much talent on this team. I'm just happy we went out and won this game.

"But it's a sad time. In this locker room, you realize the way the NFL's set up you won't be on the field with the same guys anymore. You wish things had went a lot better and we'd have made the playoffs. I truly believe that if we got into the tournament we'd have had a shot. It's just a shame it had to end this way."

It did end, however, with the symmetrical record that seems completely out of character for a year so out of balance.

"It's real tough and it's frustrating," wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson said. "When you look at the multiple talents you have, the different players, and some of the things you're capable of doing when you can't do it. We didn't do it the way we probably should have early on this season. Then at the end of the day, you're in that position where you 'woulda, coulda, shoulda.'

"I wish I had this back and that back, and that's not the way you want to end the season. ... It happened, though."