Things just dont get any easier for the Seattle Seahawks. When the Russell Wilson era began in 2012, they immediately developed a built-in rivalry with the divisions strongest team, the brutally dominant San Francisco 49ers. After Wilson lost his first meeting against the Niners, he threw four touchdowns in a 41-13 rout in Week 16 of his rookie season. Seattle split its?2013 regular-season contests with San Francisco before famously vanquishing the 49ers in that postseasons NFC Championship Game (the Sorry Receiver game). Since that loss, the Niners have gone through three head coaches while posting a 13-19 record.At the end of the 2013 season, though, a new rival began to peek through the clouds. The Arizona Cardinals hired Bruce Arians, traded for Carson Palmer and narrowly missed out on the playoffs with a 10-6 season. That run included a rare 17-10 defeat of the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 16. The Seahawks swept a Palmer-less Cardinals team in 2014, but with Palmer recovered from a torn ACL, the Cardinals roared to the top of the NFC West in 2015. Arizona went 13-3, including a 39-32 comeback win over Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, before things went south at the very end of the year. The Cardinals were blown out by the Seahawks in Week 17, only for the NFC champion Panthers to destroy both the Seahawks and Cardinals in consecutive weeks in the postseason.Now, as we enter 2016, the Cardinals and Seahawks rank among the favorites to win Super Bowl LI. The biggest obstacle in their way, unfortunately, is each other. The easiest path to the Super Bowl, as last year reminded us, is with home-field advantage along the way, and its always going to be more difficult for a team like the Cardinals to finish with the conferences best record when they have to play twice against a team as good as Seattle. The Panthers were excellent last year, but they finished behind Arizona and Seattle in DVOA and faced the leagues easiest schedule. The second-place team in the Panthers division was the 8-8 Falcons. It might not surprise you to remember that the Panthers went 5-1 against the NFC South and outscored their brethren by 81 points in those games.Seattle and Arizona have it rough. But how rough? How often do teams as good as the 2015 Cardinals and Seahawks end up in the same division? And, with the expectation that both teams will again be among the leagues best in 2016, how does the presence of such talented competition nearby impact each teams respective Super Bowl chances?History Says...It would be great if we had an advanced metric like DVOA dating back to the beginning of time, but unfortunately, it runs back only through 1989. Our best simple measure of team performance, one that predicts future performance better than win-loss record itself, is point differential. To try to find teams and divisional races similar to the one Arizona and Seattle fought last year, I went back and ranked each team in each given year by point differential.Then, I took the top two teams in each division going back to the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 and found what the average of their point-differential rankings was to get an estimate of their skill levels. Even I can admit that sentence was no fun, but it gives us a good idea of how great the teams at the top of each division were. This sort of methodology confirms that the Seahawks-Cardinals race in the NFC West last year was one of the toughest in modern league history. The Cardinals ?(+176)? ranked second in point differential, and the Seahawks (+146) were just behind them in fourth. Their average ranking, then, was third. (For AFC North fans, the Bengals and Steelers were fifth and seventh, respectively.)Thats just about as tough as it gets. There are 17 other times since 1970 in which the top two teams in a division have had an average point differential of three, most recently the 2013 race between these same Seahawks and 49ers. The Seahawks finished that year by winning their first Super Bowl, but they were the exception to the rule: Of those 34 teams, each among the four best in football in their respective years, five won the Super Bowl.Five races in league history have involved even tougher competition, including three 1-2 divisional punches that included the two best teams in football by point differential. Lets run through those five races chronologically in advance of the possibility that Arizona and Seattle might join them in 2016:1997 AFC WestKansas City Chiefs?(13-3, +143 point differential, second in league) and?Denver Broncos?(12-4, +185 point differential, best in league)This was a matchup, by point differential, of the two best teams in the league. Only the Packers (+140) and arguably the 49ers (+110) were in the same ballpark as the Broncos and Chiefs; nobody else in the league had a point differential better than +80. These two teams split their season series, with the Chiefs eventually winning the division by virtue of a narrow victory over the Broncos at home when Pete Stoyanovich hit a 54-yard field goal as time expired. Ironically, the Chiefs special teams collapsed in horrific fashion during a playoff loss to the Broncos, who went on to beat the Packers and claim the first of their back-to-back Super Bowls.1992 NFC WestSan Francisco 49ers?(14-2, +195 point differential, best in league) and?New Orleans Saints?(12-4, +128 point differential, third in league)This matchup of Nos. 1?and 3?wasnt quite as meaningful of a rivalry as the one between the Chiefs and Broncos. The Saints had the leagues top-ranked defense, a fact that seems ancient given their defenses in recent years, and they played the Niners tough but lost both their games against San Francisco after winning the division the previous year, when the 49ers started Steve Bono at QB for six games. (To be fair, Bono went 5-1.) The 49ers were about to kick off their rivalry with the newly dominant Cowboys, who posted the leagues second-best point differential at +166. Dallas beat San Francisco 30-20 in the NFC Championship Game, the first meaningful Cowboys-49ers matchup of the Jimmy Johnson era, and then promptly dispatched the Bills in the Super Bowl by 35 points. The Saints were beaten 36-20 at home by the Eagles in the wild-card round and didnt post another winning record until the 2000 season.1987 NFC WestSan Francisco 49ers?(13-2, +206 point differential, best in league) and?New Orleans Saints?(12-3, +139 point differential, third in league)Theyre back! This was the year when Jerry Rice scored 22 touchdowns in 12 games and somehow didnt win league MVP (on the AP ballot), which went to John Elway instead. Again, the 49ers arguably had another larger rivalry brewing in the Northeast. This time, it was against the Giants, who had knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs in the two preceding postseasons. The Saints held their own, though: They handed the 49ers one of their two regular-season losses, knocking Steve Young out of the game with a concussion before seeing Morten Andersen atone for a missed field goal?that would have beaten the 49ers earlier in the year by hitting a game-winning 40-yarder. The competition didnt help either team, and both lost their opening playoff games.1980 NFC EastPhiladelphia Eagles?(12-4, +162 point differential, best in league) and?Dallas Cowboys?(12-4, +143 point differential, second in league)There is little arguing that Cowboys-Eagles was, and is, a long-standing rivalry, of course. This specific matchup was a weird one: The Eagles had been in second place behind the Cowboys in the each of the previous two seasons under Dick Vermeil, with a Week 15 loss to Dallas in 1979 handing the Cowboys the NFC East that year, but this wasnt the same Cowboys team. Roger Staubach retired after 1979, turning things over to Danny White, but the Cowboys didnt skip much of a beat. The Eagles instead improved, beating the Cowboys before losing the rematch in Week 17 after the division had already been decided. Philly won the deciding third game in the playoffs, beating Dallas 20-7 in a game played in temperatures as low as minus-17 degrees, only to lose to Oakland (+58 point differential) in the Super Bowl. The Eagles wouldnt win another playoff game until 1992.1970 NFC CentralMinnesota Vikings?(12-2, +192 point differential, best in league) and?Detroit Lions?(10-4, +145 point differential, second in league)The most impressive pair of teams in one divisional race, coincidentally, came in the leagues very first post-merger season. The Lions had a point differential 22 points better than that of the third-place Rams, and nobody else was in triple digits. Detroit also faced a far tougher schedule than Minnesota, so theres a good chance the Lions were every bit as good as the first-place Vikings. In all fairness, the Vikings handled their business against the Lions in the regular season, winning two games against Detroit in a three-week stretch during early November. (One of Detroits two other losses came on Tom Dempseys then-record 63-yard field goal.)Neither team could turn its regular-season play into postseason success, though. The Vikings turned the ball over five times during a 17-14 loss to the 49ers, and the Lions suffered an even more ignominious defeat: They lost to the Cowboys in the first of two 5-0 games in league history.Thats a bit of a concern if youre a fan of todays Cardinals or Seahawks. Theres not a big enough sample to say anything definitive, but at the very least, the anecdotal evidence doesnt seem to suggest that the sharper competition hones teams for success in the postseason. Rivalries are fun, and the games between the Cardinals and Seahawks will be highlights of the regular season, but both teams would probably be better off with a less impactful team looming in the West on the way to January. Cheap Nike Air Force 1 From China . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Wholesale Nike Air Force 1 Online .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.airforce1wholesale.com/ . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Wholesale Nike Air Force 1 For Sale .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Every week, well mine the waiver wire for lesser-owned assets to help your squad, whether you favor dynasty or the re-draft format -- and well also toss in some tips for DFS players out there. Categorized by position, the players are ranked in descending order by ownership percentage in ESPN leagues.Well also include some former go-to fantasy assets who may be overvalued -- in the short or long term -- for one reason or another.ForwardsConor Sheary, LW/RW, Pittsburgh Penguins Ownership percentage: 14.8Skating on a top line with Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist has its obvious advantages -- just ask Sheary about the two goals, two assists and 16 shots hes accumulated from that spot in his past four games. While Crosby has the primary assist on both of Shearys tallies, the sophomores aforementioned helpers counted on goals scored by the Penguins captain. No coincidence here; hes worth an add while he remains on this unit.An additional Penguins note: Tumbling from Evgeni Malkins line once Chris Kunitz returned from injury, Jake Guentzel might be re-joining the AHLs Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins shortly. The 22-year-old would undoubtedly benefit from greater playing time in the AHL, though his immediate fantasy value obviously goes to zero when hes down in the AHL.Anthony Mantha, RW, Detroit Red Wings Ownership percentage: 8.6Hes big, he likes to shoot on net, and now hes playing on the Red Wings No. 1 line -- and power-play unit -- with Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar. With a hefty percentage of Detroits roster in the infirmary, Mantha should get an extended look in that prime role. And while junior hockey is a vastly different forum, Manthas scoring prowess with Val DOr (QMJHL) cant be overlooked altogether.Jason Zucker, LW, Minnesota Wild Ownership percentage: 6.7Last week, Mikael Granlund attracted our attention from his spot left of Mikko Koivu; this edition of Waiver Watch focuses on the Wild centermans right side. Thats where Zucker has comported himself admirably, with a goal and five assists in six games. Just dont ask for much power-play production from the 24-year-old, since hes not getting much work there.Michael Raffl, LW, Philadelphia Flyers Ownership percentage: 1.1Recently boosted back to the Flyers top line alongside Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, Raffl scored on five shots in nearly 18 minutes of ice time against the Predators on Sunday. When filling that slot, the 28-year-old is a serviceable fantasy asset in deeper leagues; hes much less so when he is elsewhere in the lineup.Alex Chiasson, RW, Calgary Flames Ownership percentage: 0.8After Sundays multi-goal output in a lopsided win against the Anaheim Ducks, the trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sam Bennett and Chiasson is likely to be left intact. Take advantage of the lesser-owned right winger before the magic fades, especially in DFS competition.Trevor Lewis, C, Los Angeles Kings Ownership percentage: 0.4However long the assignment lasts, Lewis merits second thought in deeper fantasy leagues while competing on a forward unit with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik (and not a moment longer). Scoring in two straight games, the typical depth forward played an uncharacteristic 17:30 in Sundays 5-4 shootout loss to the Canadiens. Alongside Kopitar and Gaborik, Lewis also has potential as an ultra-inexpensive asset in DFS play.DefensemenAndrej Sekera, Edmonton Oilers Ownership percentage: 10.2Often underrated as a fantasy asset, Sekera is starting to tangibly benefit this season -- four points in his last four games -- from the scoringg talent around him.dddddddddddd And we simply adore the 30-year-olds role on a top power-play unit with Connor McDavid & Co. While Sekera is no game-changer, he merits a blue-line depth role in most deep leagues.Justin Schultz, Pittsburgh Penguins Ownership percentage: 5.5Months after joining the Penguins last season, the 26-year-old is really coming into his own with his new squad. A disappointment in Edmonton after his rookie season, the former Oiler has recently exploded for three goals and three assists in four contests. Those numbers are wildly unsustainable, but just wait until the noted power-play performer starts contributing more with the man advantage.GoaltendersSteve Mason, Philadelphia Flyers Ownership percentage: 27.6Dont look now, but one of the games streakier netminders appears on the upswing. Following a ho-hum start to 2016-17, Mason has strung together four consecutive wins, along with a 1.71 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. If possible, exploit him while hes hot.Scott Darling, Chicago Blackhawks Ownership percentage: 24.5With Corey Crawford (appendectomy) on the injured shelf for two to three weeks, Chicagos crease briefly belongs to Darling. Enlist him as you would any decent goaltender for a top-flight NHL team.Karri Ramo, Toronto Maple Leafs Ownership percentage: 0.1One waiver transaction (Jhonas Enroth) plus one signed professional tryout contract later, and Ramo appears in position to earn the backups job with the Maple Leafs. After recovering from last Februarys knee surgery, the 30-year-old veteran should get a preliminary shot with the AHL Marlies once medically cleared. Between Avangard Omsk (KHL) and the Flames, Ramo has been a consistent professional presence in net since 2009-10 (previous seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning were more volatile). Considering that Leafs coach Mike Babcock reportedly wants 20 games out of his No. 2 from now until the end of the season, Ramo might -- if the dominoes fall in proper order -- become fantasy-relevant once again.Lowered expectationsAlex Galchenyuk, C/LW, Montreal Canadiens Ownership percentage: 87.9In a depressing blow to the Canadiens, Galchenyuk has been ruled out indefinitely with a leg injury. Center David Desharnais -- who has a history of success with Max Pacioretty -- has been promoted to the top line alongside the Habs captain and a smoldering Alexander Radulov.J.T. Miller, C/LW/RW, New York Rangers Ownership percentage: 70.4Tucked within the Rangers bottom six -- and away from former linemate Kevin Hayes -- Miller isnt the same threat, as made additionally evident by his zero points in four straight games.Patrick Sharp, LW, Dallas Stars Ownership percentage: 63.5For the second time this season, Sharp is sidelined with concussion-like symptoms. Since this is a head injury, theres no point in trying to predict a return date for the 34-year-old. Just rotten news all around.Anthony Duclair, LW/RW, Arizona Coyotes Ownership percentage: 25.7Make no mistake, we believe Duclair has a bright future as a feisty, scoring forward in the NHL. But right now, the 21-year-old is stuck in the Coyotes bottom six (when he isnt a healthy scratch) and floundering. Fantasy-wise, thats uninspiring. If possible, owners in deep, dynasty leagues may want to bench Duclair for the next while until hes back in the top-six mix, while those in shallow leagues can drop him (if they havent already). ' ' '