What if NFL 7-seeds had made the playoffs over the last 10 years? (Saints playoff implications)

Since only #1 seed has a bye, how tough will it for us to get it? We tend to relax in the middle of the season, or we start slow, now no team can afford to relax.

I think removing the 2 seed bye may lead to teams resting in Week 17 instead of fighting for the other bye. What would we have done last year? Would it have made a difference?