BTSC Survivor Pool Update: Moving past Week 3 of the NFL Season

The Behind The Steel Curtain survivor pool finished up its third week with an overwhelming number of contestants all correctly choosing the same team. While technically there were 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 3, there were 324 contestants still alive.

The most common selection for Week 3 was the Dallas Cowboys at home against the Miami Dolphins which dominated all six leagues as the choice for two-thirds of all the remaining entries. The game was surprisingly close in the first half with the Cowboys leading 10-6 until they blew open the game with two third-quarter touchdowns. The final score ended at 31-6 in favor of Dallas.

Unfortunately, the biggest reason for teams to be eliminated was yet again owners not making their choice in time. For Week 3 it was only a total of 20 people across all six leagues who were eliminated due to not making a selection, down significantly from Week 2. The most common incorrect pick was in the Tennessee vs. Jacksonville game, but only a total of four contestants were knocked out because of Titans.

So after three weeks, even though only a handful of contestants were eliminated, 48.6% of the total entries still remain. 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 weeks 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 capable of based on their body of work, but the choices become fewer as many teams have already used the Patriots, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Ravens. Additionally, the NFL is due for a big upset which takes out a large portion of those contestants who are remaining. So be very careful with your choices!

Weekly Update:

Upcoming Week 4 Games of Note:

• Most heavily favored: Los Angeles Chargers (-16.5) on the road at Miami
• Closest match up: Chicago (-2.5) at home vs. Jacksonville
• The Steelers match up: Pittsburgh (-4) at home vs. Cincinatti
• On Bye Week: New York Jets, San Francisco

(all lines are courtesy of oddshark.com as of 9/24)

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.