BTSC Survivor Pool Update: After a quarter of the NFL season, less than a third of the entries remain

The Behind The Steel Curtain survivor pool finished up its fourth week with an overwhelming number of contestants once again all correctly choosing the same team. While technically we started with 592 entries, I have one entry in each league as the commissioner so there were 587 different contestants. Hundreds have entered, but only one can go home with the autographed David DeCastro football. Entering Week 4, there were 288 contestants still alive.

The most common selection for Week 4 was the Los Angeles Chargers going on the road against the Miami Dolphins which dominated all six leagues as the choice for almost half of all the remaining entries. The game was surprisingly close in the first half with the tied at the two-minute warning before the Chargers scored a late touchdown to lead 17-10 going into the intermission. Los Angeles then sealed the deal with a second-half shutout while adding 13 points of their own. The final score ended at 30-10 in favor of the Chargers.

The biggest reason for teams to be eliminated came with the second most popular choice of the week. Over 20% of the selections were for the other team in L.A. as they hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the Bucs jumped out to a 21-0 lead, the closest the Los Angeles Rams could get was within five points. In the end, the Rams fell 55-40. Luckily, only 13 contestants failed to make picks in time this week.

After four weeks, 30.4% of the total entries still remain mainly since 37.5% of those who entered Week 4 were eliminated. If you are still alive, make sure you enter your selection early so you don’t get knocked out due to a lack of selection. If you want, you can make your picks for the entire season in advance and still change your choices up until the weekly deadline.

As the season moves forward, it does become slightly easier to know what a team is supposedly capable of based on their body of work, but the choices become fewer as many contestants have already used the Patriots, Cowboys, and Chiefs. Additionally, the NFL is due for a few more big upsets which takes out a large portion of those contestants who are remaining. And with the Dolphins on bye this week, who will be the go-to team of choice? So be very careful with your choices!

Weekly Update:

Upcoming Week 5 Games of Note:

• Most heavily favored: New England (-15.5) on the road at Washington
• Closest match up: Seattle (-1.5) at home vs the Los Angeles Rams
• The Steelers match up: Pittsburgh (+3.5) at home vs. Baltimore
• On Bye Week: Detroit, Miami

(all lines are courtesy of oddshark.com as of 10/1)

So there you have it! Make sure you check back at Behind The Steel Curtain to stay updated on the contest. Even if you did not enter or have already been eliminated, feel free to check in and see how you would have fared each week.