Did the NFL once have a consolation game before the Super Bowl?
Yes. For ten years, 1960-1969, the NFL played a game called the
Playoff Bowl that pitted the two losing teams from the playoffs
(only four teams made the playoffs at the time). The game was
played the week following the NFL Championship game. Six of these
games were played before the Super Bowl was created ... four after.
The Playoff Bowl games ended with the AFL-NFL merger.