It’s my Parting Shot for The Fearless Predictor with Week 16 of the N-F-L season slam-dunk picks and not-so-certain selections…..

Let the bells ring out and let the banners fly, the organizer of the Lazaruk Football League – also known as myself – has finally won the confidence pool within the Saskatoon Media Group! The 28 dollars will help pay for a quarter of one gift that I bought someone for Christmas!

By the way, is the shopping season over yet?! Please?!!

My slam-dunks in Week 15 all came in – Jacksonville bounced the Jets – as expected – Chicago got back to winning ways by downing visiting Cleveland and Seattle defeated the ageless Philip Rivers in his N-F-L return with Indianapolis, but that was a nail-biter to be sure!!

Two of my three not-so-certain picks were correct. I was least certain that New Orleans would win at home over Carolina – look out for the ‘Aints the rest of the season, uh, not! I was hopeful that my Minnesota Vikings could win in Dallas, but that didn’t happen – so I was right to pick against my guys! What I got wrong was Cincinnati at home over Baltimore. Sounds like Joe Burrow wants out of Cincy!!

That brings me to Week 16 choices and there are some dandy match-ups going into the third-last week of the regular-season! The number of teams that have been eliminated from making the playoffs has risen from nine to 13…meaning 19 teams are still in the hunt for 14 berths, meaning some big-time games this weekend – that I should steer clear of, if I were smart – but I’m not!!

My slam-dunk selections are New Orleans to wallop the visiting Jets in a battle between two eliminated teams. Home field should rule there! I like Chicago to maul Green Bay. If the Bears win this game and put their stamp on the N-F-C North, give the conference coach-of-the-year award to Ben Johnson now! No, he’s not the former Canadian sprinter who took steroids in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea! My other certain correct choice is Houston at home over Las Vegas. The Texans need a win to solidify their hold on no worse than a wild-card spot!!

The not-so-certain picks are Miami at home over Cincinnati. The Dolphins aren’t playing in the cold and are going away from Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback – finally! I like to think my Minnesota Vikings can win on the road and be on a three-game winning streak, but I worry about the Giants playing loose at home in the Meadowlands and winning! My upset special is Jacksonville to win in Denver – the Broncos have to lose again at some point, right?! Eleven straight wins for Bo Nix, Sean Payton and company is crazy!!

I don’t thing I’ll be celebrating again this week – but you never know!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!