How many people picked Packers in NFL survivor pools? Loss to Browns eliminates over a third of entries in Week 3

David Suggs

How many people picked Packers in NFL survivor pools? Loss to Browns eliminates over a third of entries in Week 3 image

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Fresh off victories over a pair of playoff teams, the Green Bay Packers were considered overwhelming favorites in their joust with the Cleveland Browns.

That wasn't merely reflected in the odds -- sportsbooks suggested the Packers were more than a touchdown better than their opposition. Those taking part in survivor pools -- a competition that sees users pick one team every week that they believe will win -- were similarly convinced, lapping plaudits on one of the NFL's most winningest franchises.

That didn't come to fruition on Sunday afternoon, though. Fueled by a harrowing defense and splendid kicking, the Browns secured an unforeseen win over their highly-touted adversary.

Suffice to say, survivor pools suffered as a result. Here's a look at the impact Green Bay's defeat had on survivor pools across the world.

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How many people picked Packers in NFL survivor pools?

Green Bay drew plenty of acolytes ahead of the Week 3 slate of games, with Circa Sports reporting that 10.7 percent of users selected Matt LaFleur's bunch to down the Browns.

The logic behind picking the Packers was easy to understand. Jordan Love and Co. was flying, beating postseason hopefuls Detroit and Washington in back-to-back weeks. Cleveland, meanwhile, dropped each of its first two games, the second of which was a blowout defeat to the Ravens.

But games aren't played out on paper. They're won in the trenches. Cleveland sacked Love five times during the game and held Green Bay's high-octane offense to just 230 yards.

The Browns' offense struggled to score in its own right. But it found timely points when it needed to. Andre Szmyt's last-second field goal secured a momentous victory for the Browns, who entered the bout as 7.5-point underdogs. That result proved a killer for thousands.

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NFL survivor Week 3 picks grid: Best and most popular picks

The first two weeks of the NFL season have served up plenty of stunners. Between the Chiefs' 0-2 start and comeback wins by the Bills and Cowboys in Week 1 and 2, respectively, plenty of prospective survivors were already left blowing in the wind. 

The early-afternoon slate of Week 3 games proved similarly unpredictable. The Panthers breezed past the Falcons for a 30-0 win, spelling disaster for more than 1,000 CircaSports users.

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The Seahawks were the most popular Week 3 selection across multiple survivor pool platforms, drawing 77.6 percent of votes on Yahoo Sports and 39.3 percent on CircaSports. Here's what TSN's Teddy Ricketson had to say about Seattle's matchup with the 0-2 Saints:

The Seahawks enter this game with a 1-1 record, following a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

While Spencer Rattler has looked much improved for the Saints, the team is going to have to fly across the country and face not only the Seahawks but the 12th man, too.

New Orleans just lost to the Mac Jones-led San Francisco 49ers, so while Sam Darnold has not looked like his Minnesota Vikings self with his new team yet, Seattle is too good to pass up here. 

The Packers weren't too far behind, yielding nearly 2,000 votes on CircaSports. Their result is certain to shake up the survivor grid going forward.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.