Sports playoffs - Avoid facing good teams until later?
A lot of times when I read about a team's playoff prognosis, it might say that team A getting such-and-such seed is a boon because it means not facing a really good team Z until later in the playoffs. For example, today I was reading about the Colts and how getting the #3 seed in the AFC is good for them because they wouldn't face the Patriots until the AFC Championship Game as opposed to possibly the Divisional Round if they were a 4-seed.
I know that the statement that the Colts can't face the Patriots until the AFC Championship Game is true, but my question is this: does it really matter when you face a given team? Would it be easier to beat the other guys if the game was played in a later round? If so, how?
Regarding injuries: Yes, there might be a chance of injury, but that exists regardless of when the game is played. Plus, I've seen similar statements for NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, whose postseasons don't have byes, so I don't see how that could be an argument.