Saints embark on perilous path

It doesn’t quite seem right the defending champs and an 11-win team this season would be asked to travel 2,000 miles on a short week to face the first division champs in league history with a losing record — and a team the Saints beat, 34-19, in Week 11.

“We all have a formula for getting in. We all know ahead of time. No one was upset about it or complaining about it before the start of the season,’’ Saints coach Sean Payton said. “I think that value of winning your division means something. Just as a season ago when the postseason began, the teams that are in now really are 0-0. That’s just the truth. I think our players understand that more than anything.’’

But the task in front of the Saints as the No. 5 seed became seemingly more difficult as the week progressed.

There’s the second consecutive short week having played at Atlanta Dec. 27, losing at home to Tampa Bay last Sunday, and taking off Thursday after practice to make the five-hour flight to Seattle. There’s the Pacific Northwest weather, where rain and even a chance of some light snow are being forecast.

There’s the Saints’ history, which tells the story of a franchise that has never won, let alone played well, away from the Superdome in the playoffs. New Orleans lost, 16-6, at Chicago in 1991; 34-16 at Minnesota in 2001; and 39-14 at Chicago in the NFC Championship game four years ago.

Then there’s the injuries. Already this week, the Saints placed their top two running backs — Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas — on injured reserve. Only Reggie Bush and Julius Jones remain as the Saints’ healthy running backs from the regular season.

Marques Colston, who had eight catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting against Seattle, is listed as probable, but underwent knee surgery less than two weeks ago. Safety Malcolm Jenkins is out, thinning a secondary that allowed 366 yards passing to Seattle earlier this year. Starting outside linebacker Danny Clark, tight end Jimmy Graham, and defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove are also out.

“Underdog’’ wasn’t uttered this week around the Seahawks’ practice facility.