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Brady, McCoy lead offenses of 2013 playoff teams

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Still wearing their uniforms, Tom Brady and LeSean McCoy smiled and chatted with each other after their teams’ joint practice.

Two of the busiest and best players at their positions won’t have such relaxing moments when they’re playing games.

Friday night’s preseason matchup between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will be the only meeting between the teams this season, unless they meet in a rematch of the 2005 Super Bowl.

After the Patriots made it to the AFC championship game last season and the Eagles reached the playoffs under new coach Chip Kelly for the first time in three years, that prospect isn’t so improbable.

“Last year we did so good to win our division, Chip’s first year,” McCoy said. “With this type of team, the sky’s the limit.”

Especially with that type of running back.

McCoy led the NFL with 1,607 yards rushing and 314 attempts. His 5.12 yards per carry were second among runners with more than 10 rushes per game.

But the Eagles also have Nick Foles, who led the NFL in passer rating, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, back after missing all last season with a torn ACL, and new running back Darren Sproles.

Maclin may sit out Friday night’s game after sustaining a hamstring injury Wednesday that kept him from practicing Thursday. He didn’t think it was serious.

“It’s hard to really focus on one player because we have so many different options,” McCoy said.

Brady also has plenty, especially if tight end Rob Gronkowski can stay healthy after being limited to seven games by back, forearm and knee injuries. Julian Edelman had a career-high 105 receptions and running back Stevan Ridley is a threat if he can solve his fumbling issues.

It all starts with Brady, who is likely to play Friday night after missing the Patriots’ 23-6 loss to the Washington Redskins in the opener.

He had the fifth-most pass attempts and fourth-most completions last season. It was one of the poorest of his 14 full seasons, but the absence of Gronkowski and a deep receiving threat limited his options.

The addition of wide receiver Brandon LaFell as a free agent gives him another.

“He’s added a lot,” Brady said. “He does a great job out there getting open. He just keeps making more plays. It’s really fun for a quarterback to see guys out there really working hard to make the improvements and then really do it, and, hopefully, it continues to carry over.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is hoping for substantial improvement after the loss to Washington in which the Patriots were shut out until the final two minutes. Of course, most of his starters didn’t play.

“We played competitively, but we just didn’t overall play very well or play with the kind of awareness and concentration and execution that we need to,” he said. “We’ve got to do a better job of just getting things right out on the football field and taking some of the drill work and applying it (in) real game conditions and situations.”

Those drills continued this week with two days of joint practices with the Eagles followed by walkthroughs by both teams Thursday.

Foles had an outstanding practice Tuesday after struggling in a 34-28 loss to the Chicago Bears last Friday night. His two interceptions matched his total for all of last season when he succeeded Michael Vick as the starter and played 13 games.

“I looked at it, made my corrections and I move forward,” Foles said.

His play in his third NFL season will be critical to the Eagles’ success. Just as Brady’s will be for the Patriots.

The joint practices presented the quarterbacks with greater challenges than they had when facing their own defensive players in most of training camp.

“It’s fun getting a chance to play against other players, see how other teams work,” McCoy said. “They’re veterans. They have some of the older guys. Brady’s 37 and Nick is a baby compared to that, so you learn from those type of things.”

But McCoy and Brady didn’t share any vital information when they spoke after Wednesday’s workout.

“It’s ‘good luck,’ stuff like that,” McCoy said. “We’re competing, man.”

___

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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