What's more important: Quality play/record and no playoffs or playoffs and sloppy play/bad record?

Let me run the following scenarios by you. Tell me which one is preferable.

Packers end the season 8-8 and make the playoffs
Packers end the season 11-5 and don't make the playoffs

Obviously, we all want our team to win games, make it to the playoffs, and win the superbowl. But what is more important: Playing good or great football and not making it in, or playing mediocre football and sneaking into the playoffs? Obviously good play is going to win games, but admit it: We've looked like a 12-4 team and a 4-12 team during complete games throughout the season. If forced to decide on fundamentals and better play or a playoff run, what would you choose?

I think of things much the same as when I play sports.

I hate losing no matter what. But getting beat is better than losing.

I consider getting beat, when you play well, don't make mistakes and still end up on the short end. Losing is when you fuck up.

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i would rather sneak into the playoffs and look terrible then play good and not make it. Because playoffs are a whole nother ball game. You never know what will happen.

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Making the playoffs....

If you asked any player what they would rather want I am sure they would say playoffs.

This is the NFL and the level of competition is so high that you always have players on the field that can make big plays.

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What's your point? That everything's ok?

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...No? That post couldn't be any more neutral. As for my opinion, I'd rather us play well and not make the playoffs than play like crap and make the playoffs and be embarassed.

I agree with you. People like to blather about how often we made the playoffs in the previous era. Granted -- but how often in those years were we actually in a realistic position to advance in the playoffs? The numbers were deceiving because for most of those years, the NFC Central/North was abysmal and we fattened up our record on pathetic teams. So we'd get our obligatory playoff berth and have no realistic chance of putting in a decent showing. So what was the point? All it did was set the team back another year in acquiring quality talent through the draft.

The bromide "Anything can happen in the playoffs" annoys me. Anything can happen during the regular season too.

By the way, for the people who scoff at those of us who carp about poor play even during wins, I present this game as Exhibit A. When you look sloppy during games, you set the stage for ugly defeats later. Like today. I want to see my team playing well during wins, not surviving by the skin of their teeth.

I hope this game represents a turning point in the season, the darkest before dawn. But I fear that this team might instead be going gently into that good night.

I hope I am wrong.

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The fat lady sang today. The last 2 weeks showed just how bad we really are. I don't like facing it, but denying it won't change the truth. We suck......plain and simple. Sad, but true.
I'd rather make the playoffs. At least then you have a chance to win it all. If you don't make the playoffs, even if you are 11-5, you didn't even get a chance.
Either way, i think it will take alot better then 8-8 to make it in anyway. And right now i'm not too optomistic about getting to .500 at the end of the year.

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this.

a loss doesn't bother me if it was a good game. a sloppy win still bothers me. a sloppy loss? nothing worse. right now this Packers team is nothing but sloppy. even against these horrible teams, even with numbers that seem to say otherwise, our wins have been sloppy and today's game proves...utterly...just how much we are "losing" and not just "getting beat".

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Well said. Winning ugly is one thing. But ugly is ugly. And when you don't do anything about the ugliness, you start to lose ugly.
That's what's happening here.

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