Yes, the NFL has done a great job creating a parity in the league that nearly every year, a team not in the Playoffs will take the place of a team that was in them next season. There are not 4 teams that you can automatically say will be in the conference finals, last season, Tampa Bay had to win all their playoff games on the road to get to the Super Bowl.
Parity only goes so far of course; the Detroit Lions have been in the league for a long time, and have never played in the Super Bowl, I don't think they've even made it to a conference final. The Chargers had a chance, and proved that every game does mean something by losing, at home to then 3-12 Houston!!!