NFL Survivor pool contestants are falling more quickly than the players in Squid Games. Week 4 of the NFL season eliminated another significant chunk of survivor pool participants with more surprising losses.
The Week 4 carnage was not as drastic as Weeks 1-3, but it trimmed fields nonetheless. Circa Sports’ Survivor contest lost another 268 contestants, thanks to losses suffered by the Steelers, Lions, Colts, Browns, and Panthers, and ended Sunday with only 1,342 of 6,133 (21.9%) of its field intact.
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Surprising Home Losses Eliminate More In NFL Survivor Games
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the New York Jets served as the most significant defeat of survivor pool contestants
https://twitter.com/CircaSports/status/1576375794598703104
It’s difficult to argue that the Steelers are a quality team right now, but it’s easy to appreciate betting against the Jets. In hindsight, it’s also easy to chalk this up as a case of “helmet scouting”. The Steelers, at home in their black and gold, are supposed to beat the Jets — even when New York is good. And nobody is claiming that this particular Jets team is good.
The problem is the Steelers are far from that plateau themselves. And dare we suggest their immediate future is trending in an opposite direction of the Jets’ trajectory?
This isn’t to suggest the Jets (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) are on the path toward playoff football. But to use high-level NFL jargon, “they have some dudes”.
Those remaining in NFL Survivor contests need to appreciate the offensive talent present on the Jets roster, starting but not ending with second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. Fans saw the good and bad from Wilson Sunday. And while the bad will ground the Jets in some weeks, the good will lift them in others.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are a bottom-third offense that will likely be led by rookie Kenny Pickett after he replaced Mitchell Trubisky on Sunday.
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Lions, Colts Struggling; Different Fates Looming?
If the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions could combine the strengths of their teams, they could each have something going for them.
The Colts can’t put points on the board in spite of Matt Ryan serving as a supposed quarterback upgrade. And the Lions treat defense as if they’re playing in the Mid-American Conference.
There’s nothing specific to take away from the Colts other than more confusion and bewilderment. The Colts are 2-5 in their last seven meetings with the Titans dating back to 2019. They have not benefited from playing at home either — they’re 0-3 in the series at Lucas Oil Stadium over that span.
The Colts are becoming too accustomed to falling short of their end-of-season goals. It may not be easy to restart with a new quarterback under center, as they’ve done each season since 2018. But there’s only so much leash even reasonable excuses will provide a coaching staff.
As far as the Lions are concerned, they resemble a team that’s built for Overs and fantasy football formats. NFL pundits are having fun discussing what the Lions could be with even a modicum of defensive resistance.
If the Lions had a bad defense they’d be 3-1
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 3, 2022
NFL gamers — whether that’s those remaining in survivor pools, fantasy/DFS players, or traditional bettors — should pay close attention to the adjustments the Lions make over the next few weeks, particularly coming out of their Week 6 bye. Whether those are personnel changes or schematic adjustments, Dan Orlovsky’s message is worth more than a grain of salt. The Lions can threaten teams offensively. They just need some bite on the other side of the ball.
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What Is An NFL Survivor Pool?
Survivor pools aren’t difficult to grasp. Generally speaking, each player in the pool selects one team to win outright each week. The players that select a winning team remain in the pool. Those who pick a losing team are eliminated. The last one standing claims victory. Easy, right?
It’s not quite that simple though. The frequency with which a team can be selected is limited. In traditional survivor pools, a team may be selected only once during the season.
The team you picked with a cushy Week 1 matchup is not available for the remainder of the season. The pickings become slimmer with each subsequent week, creating difficult decisions and challenges — especially when byes begin in Week 6. Surviving players have 28 teams at their disposal in Week 5.
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