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Texans awful in debut for O’Brien, Fitzpatrick

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Coach Bill O’Brien and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made their debut for the Houston Texans on Saturday night.

And it went very badly.

Three Arizona quarterbacks shredded the Houston defense and the Texans’ offense failed to mount a single serious scoring threat in a 32-0 loss to the Cardinals.

“Tonight was not a good night of football,” O’Brien said. “It all starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job of coaching this team. … It’s the first preseason game and there’s nowhere but up from where we are right now.”

Playing the entire first half, Fitzpatrick completed 6 of 14 passes for 55 yards with two interceptions as the Cardinals took a 20-0 lead at the break.

“I think it is important to keep in mind that it’s the first time we’ve been out there as a team,” Fitzpatrick said, “but it’s also a nice little wake-up call for me and for everybody. The NFL is a humbling game.”

Arizona’s first-team defense had a three-and-out and an interception in its two series.

The Cardinals’ Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and rookie Logan Thomas were a combined 27 of 34 for 349 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

“You come out and put up a result like that and everybody does need to do better,” the Texans’ J.J. Watt said. “… So we go in and watch the film tomorrow, learn from it and hit the practice field. That’s what training camp is for, that’s what the preseason is for. You get better and you don’t accept things like that.”

The Texans were penalized 13 times for 126 yards.

“Tonight there were too many penalties, turnovers, couldn’t get off the field on third down, couldn’t get a kickoff returned past the 15-yard line,” O’Brien said. “It was bad football.”

Palmer was 5 for 5 for 84 yards and a TD in his lone stint.

Thomas played the entire second half, completing 11 of 12 for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Houston was without wide receiver Andre Johnson, running back Arian Foster and cornerback Johnathan Joseph — all nursing minor injuries.

The Texans, coming off a 2-14 season, got inside the Cardinals’ 30-yard line once, and that ended with an interception.

Arizona rookie John Brown, a third-round draft pick from little Pittsburg State (Kansas), caught five passes for 87 yards, all in the first half.

Brown said it was a relief going against a defense other than the strong Cardinals’ team he goes against in practice.

“The game was kind of easy,” he said, “because going against the best every day, it makes it more relaxing out on the field.”

Palmer, entering his 12th NFL season and second with Arizona, had passes of 25 yards to Brown and 35 yards to Rob Housler, then capped his drive with a 7-yard scoring pass to Larry Fitzgerald.

With 1:28 to play, Houston rookie quarterback Tom Savage was tackled by JoJo Dickson for a safety.

The Cardinals had a 407-172 advantage in total yards and 27-9 in first downs.

Palmer’s backup Stanton, who hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2010, completed 11 of 17 for 152 yards and 5-yard TD pass to Jaron Brown.

Case Keenum, 0-8 as a starter for Houston last season, played the third quarter, going 3 of 5 for 23 yards.

After Arizona took the opening kickoff, Watt beat guard Jonathan Cooper and sacked Palmer for a 7-yard loss at the Cardinals 15. But on third-and-16, Palmer found the speedy rookie John Brown on a 25-yard play. Moments later, he threw to Housler, who ran down the sideline on a 35-yard play yards to the 38.

Later in the first quarter, Fitzpatrick’s pass was tipped by linebacker Kevin Minter. It bounced through the arms of linebacker Larry Foote before cornerback Antonio Cromartie, in his first season with Arizona, picked it off.

NOTES: Arizona was without wide receiver Michael Floyd (groin) and wide receiver-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. (knee). Arians said Floyd will be out 6-10 days, Ginn about three days. … First overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney had some problems but did beat basketball player-turned-tight end Darren Fells to stop Stepfan Taylor for a 5-yard loss. … Arizona’s Dave Zastudil pinned Houston on its 3-yard line with a 54-yard punt midway through the second quarter. He led the NFL in punts inside the 20 the past two years. … Feely is to kick next week when Arizona plays at Minnesota. … Starting linemen Cooper and Larsen played the entire first half for the Cardinals.

___

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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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