That survey shows that ~27% got in through some sort of connection, but the remaining ~73% didn't. So roughly 3/4 of those surveyed didn't use connections to land gigs.

Am I missing something here?

This survey is for software developers. Not IT positions. And, it only shows a plurality (26%) of hiring via network connections. And on top of that, it's a survey of Stack Overflow readers...so if you're presuming it is representative of the labor market at large, I suggest you have not received adequate education in critical thinking.