Re: 17th game -- more results-weighted schedule?
What they should do is have truly flexible schedules. This would mean many more games between the best teams in the league and fewer mismatches. (i.e. more games that people want to watch.)
1. Add two weeks to the schedule, one for the extra game and one for a second bye.
2. Each team is assigned six "rivals". This would likely include the other teams in their current division, recent playoff opponents, teams that share the same region [SF and Oakland], etc.
3. When the schedule is announced, each team has:
A. Three fixed home games against known rivals
B. Three fixed away games against known rivals
C. Four fixed home games against unknown opponents
D. One flexible prime time home game during weeks 4 through 18 against an unknown opponent at one of four or five predetermined times.
E. Five flexible away games against unknown opponents.
F. Two flexible byes
4. 100% of the games during weeks 1-3, 60% of the games during weeks 4-5, 35% of the games during weeks 6-8, and a few other games throughout the season (including international games and Thanksgiving games) would be fixed games between rivals.
5. Flexible games and flexible byes would be finalized two weeks before games played after Thanksgiving; two weeks before games played during weeks 4-5 and three weeks before all other flexible games. Teams competing in international games would be guaranteed a bye the week afterwards.
6. Subject to certain constraints (no more than one flexible game per season against any given opponent, etc.) teams with the best records and teams with the worst records are scheduled against each other. [During weeks 1-8 ties are broken first by opponents W-L, second by opponents-opponents W-L. During weeks 9-19 this tie breaker is reversed]
7. The top six teams in each conference make the playoffs. There are no divisions.
8. Teams are ranked first by won-lost; second by opponents won-lost; third by opponents-opponents won-lost.
9. The final week of the season is scheduled one week in advance. Bubble teams are each matched against each other so the final playoff spots are determined in head to head competition. Only teams which "hosted" international games are guaranteed to play at home. In contests determining playoff teams, the team with the higher record is at home. In all other contests, the teams which have hosted the fewest true home games since this system began play at home.
The result of all this is that the number of games between very strong teams will increase significantly. That means more games that people want to watch, more people tuning in to games that don't involve their team, and tons more advertising money. Bad teams will have better records than they do now (thanks to facing inferior opponents) and provide a better opportunity for individual performers to shine and take the spotlight away from a misserable season. Good teams will play more classic games. Bad teams that suddenly become good towards the end of the season will still have a chance of making the playoffs, but they'll have to earn that chance by defeating much stronger opponents than anybody else faces.