This kind of thinking I don't understand. If the Patriots had gone 12-4, a couple of more IFs would have us missing the playoffs at 12-4 as well. For example, if Walt Coleman doesn't overturn the ruling on the field in the Steelers-Ravens game, or if Miami doesn't allow a Matt Schaub scramble with 3 seconds left, then the Patriots miss the playoffs with a 12-4 record even with a win over the Jets.
Yes, we could be 12-4 and out of the playoffs right now. I'm just wondering if that would have changed some people's thinking about the system we use.
The same logic applies at 10-6. 11 is just an arbitrary number in the discussion. The point is, the NFL did not maximize its competitive integrity by having 3 games at the same time.
If it had, the Jets would have gone into the second half knowing the Patriots were up only 3-0 on the Bills.