Gotta hand it to the league. After a ridiculous and failed attempt to tack on two regular season games, they find a better way to increase their revenue in a way that will entice fans at a much more reasonable level. Probably the players, too. Lots of 8-8 teams will have players entering free agency, and what's bad about getting another nationally televised game to boost their stock?
The Steelers would have qualified for the postseason in 2013 if this format was in place. Not that past seasons should play heavily into whether the league changes its three-decade-old playoff system, but a purist would even admit there's something odd about the second-best team in a conference over the regular season getting a bye.
For whatever it's worth, the Steelers would have played at New England in the first round of the AFC playoffs. The Patriots defeated the Steelers 55-31, a Steelers record for most points allowed in a single game.