Long trip, short week for Saints

METAIRIE, La. - A short week and a long flight are only the beginning of the challenges Sean Payton sees as New Orleans prepares to begin the playoffs in Seattle.

The defending champion Saints' road back to the Super Bowl will be longer and harder than a season ago, when New Orleans opened with a bye before playing the second round and NFC title game before friendly crowds in the Louisiana Superdome.

This time there's not only no week off, but the Saints must fly across two times zones to play on Saturday afternoon. The game is outdoors in January in the Pacific Northwest in front of a hostile crowd in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.

"It is different from a time standpoint," Payton said Monday. "When you play a Saturday game, there's a quick turnaround, but that being said, we're looking forward to the challenge.

"We know it's going to be a tough place to play," Payton added. "The crowd noise is as loud as it is in the league for an outdoor venue. We'll need to have a good week of preparation, weather included."

Payton said the Saints may fly out Thursday night to give them a chance to get used to the time change and perhaps the conditions. New Orleans might practice at the Seahawks' Qwest Field on Friday, Payton said.

The Saints (11-5) are favored by more than a touchdown over the Seahawks (7-9). Back on Nov. 21, Seattle lost 34-19 in New Orleans en route to becoming the first team with a losing record every to win a division.

Yet, although the Saints won by double digits when these teams last met and Drew Brees had little trouble moving the ball, there were reasons to be concerned about a rematch at Qwest Field.

In beating St. Louis 16-6 to take the NFC West on Sunday night, the Seahawks sacked Rams quarterback Sam Bradford three times and were credited with a total of six quarterback hits. They also intercepted Bradford once and held star running back Steven Jackson to a season-low 45 yards rushing.

"They played well (Sunday) night and really did a good job of getting to the ball defensively," Payton said. "They played real good team defense and I think they ran the ball better yesterday than they had in recent weeks. Those were two things that stood out in the game last night."

The Seahawks rushed for 141 yards as a team against St. Louis, led by Marshawn Lynch's 75 yards. Seattle's productivity on the ground took pressure off quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who was solid in throwing for 192 yards and a score while avoiding an interception.

Yet the Saints do not even know which quarterback they will face. Regular starter Matt Hasselbeck, whose hip injury limited him to a backup role in the season finale, did not play against the Rams but could return to action this weekend.

"I can assume that maybe we have to prepare for both of them," Saints cornerback Tracy Porter said.

If Hasselbeck returns, the Saints will have to face the quarterback who threw for more yards against them than anyone this season. Hasselbeck passed for 366 yards in the Louisiana Superdome, an unusually large total for a Saints defense that ranked fourth in the NFL against the pass during the regular season, allowing about 193.9 yards per game.

Meanwhile, there's uncertainty about the Saints' roster. Several key players were inactive for Sunday's 23-13 loss to Tampa Bay because of injuries, including receiver Marques Colston (right knee), running back Pierre Thomas (left ankle) and tight end Jeremy Shockey (groin). Then, during the game, tight end Jimmy Graham (left ankle), running back Chris Ivory (left foot) and free safety Malcolm Jenkins (right knee) all left with injuries.

Payton, who in the past has said he prefers to keep injury updates to a minimum to avoid giving up a competitive advantage, showed no intention of changing that stance now.

"Again, I won't have anything to say in regards to any of these players right now regarding injuries," Payton began. "I was optimistic today with the news in general and we'll get them up to speed and get them healthy as quick as possible."