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Plenty of flags fly during Seahawks-Broncos

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Denver Broncos devolved into a game of flag football, which wasn’t unexpected in light of the NFL’s renewed emphasis on illegal contact and holding.

Surprisingly, only a handful of the 25 penalties called in Denver’s 21-16 win Thursday night fell into those categories — and all of those were whistled on the Broncos.

Many believe the NFL’s crackdown is in direct response to the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense and the Super Bowl champs’ habit of pushing, pulling, tugging and shoving wide receivers.

Most were for old-fashioned transgressions, some stemming from the bad blood that developed between the teams in the wake of Seattle’s 43-8 shellacking of the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

“There was one hands-to-the-face penalty, which is a new emphasis. There were no offensive PI (pass interference) penalties called, which is a new emphasis,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “It was just on our end of it, just pretty sloppy play.”

There were only eight flags thrown in the Hall of Fame game between the Giants and Bills that kicked off the preseason. Aside from Seattle-Denver, there were five other games Thursday night and they featured an average of 12.8 flags, half of what was walked off at Sports Authority Field, where there was one moan-inducing stretch of penalties on five consecutive snaps.

“To be honest with you I think the referees did a really good job on both sides,” Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. “We got some penalties on us defensively and offensively, they got some penalties on them defensively and offensively. I think the referees are doing a great job trying to keep it as clean as possible. This game is tough as it gets already, and so I think the referees did a tremendous job tonight.”

All those yellow flags littering the field, however, bogged down the game that also had a 46-minute lightning delay in the first quarter.

“It was just out of rhythm, a real sloppy, choppy game,” Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said.

Denver had a dozen penalties for 95 yards.

“We knew there was going to be a lot of flags,” Denver defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “It’s the preseason, and it’s a lot of new rules — you can’t touch receivers any more than you already couldn’t, whatever that means. But it’s just things we can improve, we’ll improve, but physical things, that’s football.”

Seattle’s 13 infractions for 131 yards included: unnecessary roughness, taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct to go with three neutral zone penalties, an offside call, a chop block, a pass interference, encroachment, offensive holding on a lineman and two false starts.

Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman said recently that the league’s re-emphasis on illegal contact and defensive holding “will have very minimal impact on our game and how we play it.”

Broncos star receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was Denver’s lone bright spot in the Super Bowl with a record 13 receptions, said he didn’t notice any difference in the Seahawks’ physical pass-coverage style.

“Like they did in the Super Bowl, they got in our face, pressed, and we were able to go out and convert,” said Thomas, who had five catches for 52 yards Thursday night.

The last time the league made illegal contact and defensive holding a point of emphasis was in 2004 amid complaints that New England’s defensive backs were mauling Peyton Manning’s receivers.

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

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Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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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