I recall the 7 and 9 Seahawks taking out the Saints in a playoff game not TOO long ago. Divisional games / rivalries that MEAN something are very important to the integrity of the NFL. The NFL has been KILLING other pro sports in popularity. Even when down, there's a buzz when the Cowboys play the Redskins or the Bears play the Packers. That amplifies when it has Division Champ at stake. Look at the NBA....There are ZERO rivals anymore because of their format. If it was pretty frequent that an 11 and 5 team was out and a 7 and 9 OR WORSE was making the cut...maybe. But it's pretty rare. The NFL has been doing it right for a long long time.
