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No change with Jets QBs: Still Smith, then Vick

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Geno Smith: three points. Michael Vick: seven.

Quarterback controversy for the New York Jets?

Nope. Not even close. OK, well, not yet.

“We’ll just let this thing play out,” coach Rex Ryan said. “It’s our first preseason game. Obviously, we know we have two excellent quarterbacks.”

Smith led the Jets to a field goal in his two series with the starters in a 13-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. Vick created a bit of a buzz by leading a touchdown drive with the first-team offense, and showing he can still make plays with his legs.

While the Jets maintain the two are competing, it has been clear it’s Smith’s job to lose — and he did nothing to downgrade his spot on the depth chart. Smith was 4 of 6 for 33 yards — including a drive capped by a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk — before giving way to Vick.

He also had an impressive Vick-like 10-yard scramble on a read-option.

“I thought Geno played extremely well,” Ryan said. “He had a few throwaways. I thought he did a great job stepping up in the pocket a few times and protecting the ball.”

Smith is taking 75 percent of the first-team snaps during camp. Ryan and the Jets need to know for sure what they’ve got in Smith — or if they need to go back to the drawing board next offseason.

The 34-year-old Vick came out to cheers and led a 14-play drive with the starters that tied it at 10 in the second quarter. It came mostly against the Colts’ defensive backups and was also helped by two 15-yard penalties on Indianapolis.

“To have a 14-play drive, it only builds your confidence,” Vick said.

Vick also got the MetLife Stadium crowd fired up when he took off to his left as the pocket collapsed, avoided a tackle attempt and zipped downfield for 15 yards for a first down.

“He looked great, shoot,” Ryan said with a big smile.

Vick, who ran with the backups in his second drive, finished 3 of 6 for 17 yards and rushed three times for 19 yards.

“I did all right,” he said. “Could’ve been better.”

Both Smith and Vick have had a solid but not spectacular training camp so far. The big thing for Smith is that he appears to have cut back on the debilitating mistakes he made through most of his rookie season. He stared down his receivers many times and also struggled with ball security while committing 25 turnovers.

“I was going through my reads pretty smoothly,” Smith said of his two drives. “A couple of those plays, they got some guys that were free on me and I had to get the ball away. But other than that, the game felt good.”

Vick was signed in March to give the Jets a veteran backup who could push Smith and step in if he falters or is injured. Vick is familiar with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s system from their days together in Philadelphia, so he made for the perfect choice.

While he still believes he could start and star in the NFL, Vick has been saying all the right things — including that Smith is the unquestioned starter. Despite leading the touchdown drive, Vick isn’t anticipating any additional snaps with the first-team offense when practices resume Saturday.

Because of his ability to make plays with his legs, the notion of using Vick in a wildcat-like role is intriguing. Vick, however, isn’t so high on the idea, simply because he believes it disrupts the timing of the quarterback and the offense.

“I think it has to be done at the right time,” he said. “I experienced that in Philadelphia with Donovan (McNabb) at times. You want to go out there and let the quarterback get into a rhythm and not try to do too much. I think that’s doing too much.”

But then, Vick left the door opened a bit for the possibility.

“When the time calls for it,” he said, “then I think the coaches will see fit that that’s put in.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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