At this Point, does the Regular Season even matter?

I guess what really is irking me is that football is a 60 minute game played in a 16 game season. That's really short. Then you arbitrarily tell some average performing teams that their season is over, while another average performing team goes on and wins the SB.

I'm somewhat in favor of shrinking the playoffs by a round to protect the elite teams from having to play too many games in the playoffs. I still want to see the one v two matchups in the playoffs to decide superiority, I'm just a little tired right now of 9-7/8-8 teams getting a chance to improve that other 9-7/8-8 teams (think Cleveland) aren't getting.

In a lot of seasons, the Giants would have had to wait to next year based on how they played in the season, but for them, the post season was a whole new season, one in which they dominated.

I love the NFL, I think they have the best playoffs in sports, I thought this playoff was great, and I thought this was one of the best Superbowls I have ever seen. I don't see any problem with an underdog winning.

The regular season is absolutely meaningful. 32 teams. 12 get in. Top 4 teams get a week to heal and rest. The odds are stacked in the favor of the top regular season teams.
That being said, I like to see an underdog beat the odds and win it all. That's the beauty of a single-elimination tournament. NFL playoffs are the most exciting because the best team doesn't always advance, just the one who plays the better game that day.
Two things to consider about the 2007 Giants:
1) 7-1 on the road and 3-5 at home. Obviously the Giants didn't have an home-field advantage this year and were thus an enigma in football to begin with. Teams traditionally want to play at home and thus home-field advantage helps in the playoffs.
2) If the Super Bowl was played 7 times (as in other pro sport championships) the best teams would win every time. In this scenario, the Pats would have won at least 4 times, probably 5 or 6. Of course, if the playoffs were also series instead of single elimination they probably wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl.
So no, the playoffs don't need to be changed. If you want to remember who the "best" team was for the 2007, it was the Patriots. But the Giants get the ring and are the World Champions.
As for the "quality" of teams getting in (Giants in, Vikings out), this shows even more how important the regular season is. Sure, an easier schedule helps you get a better seed (we could have been 13-3 w/ Tampa's schedule and had a bye with playoffs at home) but unless we expand the season to 31 games with each team playing every other team once, there will always be teams with an easier schedule.

I love the NFL, I think they have the best playoffs in sports, I thought this playoff was great, and I thought this was one of the best Superbowls I have ever seen. I don't see any problem with an underdog winning.

I don't have any problem with it either.

It was a very entertaining postseason and regular season as well. Keep everything as is.

Unrelated note--I'm really diggin' my sig right now.

Lloyd gets a fresh start with the new staff. Let's see if he can get it together and show his potential.

Lloyd gets a fresh start with the new staff. Let's see if he can get it together and show his potential.

I think you're confusing his sig with his custom avatar title

I think you're confusing his sig with his custom avatar title

ah man. i was just trying to lloyd some much needed love.

ah man. i was just trying to lloyd some much needed love.

How about much needed motivation and responsibility. I think that's what he needs most. Actually what he needs most is to get the hell off my team and go infect some other poor organization.