Skip to main content

Brady wins preseason debut, Pats top Eagles 42-35

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady dove in vain at Cary Williams as the Eagles cornerback returned an interception for a touchdown on the opening series.

Then the turnovers went in the Patriots direction.

New England scored touchdowns on three of the four that Philadelphia committed, and the Patriots beat the Eagles 42-35 in Brady’s preseason debut Friday night.

“We always try to aggressively attack the ball,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “Those can be game-changing plays so when you get a chance to make them, you need to make them.”

All six quarterbacks did a good job with their opportunities, a sign that both teams have depth at that position.

Every one of them who played — Brady, rookie Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Mallett for the Patriots (1-1) and Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley for the Eagles (0-2) each threw at least one touchdown pass.

The Eagles rarely had the ball early.

And when they got it later, they kept giving it away.

“I think the big thing in this game is we just can’t turn over the ball and we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot,” Foles said.

New England had two offensive series before the Eagles had even one since the Patriots’ first ended with Williams’ 77-yard interception return. Williams hurt his hamstring on the play and didn’t return.

Brady threw the ball to Steve Maneri, but the tight end who had signed five days earlier didn’t turn around.

“It’s just miscommunication,” Brady said. “I’m glad it happens in the preseason.”

The Patriots tied it on their next possession on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins, ending Brady’s night after completing 8 of 10 passes for 81 yards in two series.

Then Philadelphia’s turnovers began.

Ifeanyi Momah lost a fumble after catching Foles’ pass on their first offensive play. Sanchez threw an interception on his second play of the third quarter and Momah lost another fumble midway through the third quarter after a reception on Barkley’s first play.

And on the second play of Barkley’s next series, his pass was picked off by Nate Ebner.

Add Alex Henery’s missed 47-yard field-goal attempt and a bunch of penalties and coach Chip Kelly has many mistakes to point out after a sloppy performance that followed three days of joint practices with the Patriots.

Reviewing the penalties will keep both coaches busy.

The Patriots committed 11 for 83 yards and the Eagles were flagged for 10 for 86 yards.

At least the officials had warned the teams in meetings during the week that there would be an emphasis on penalizing contact on receivers.

“You’re just handing people first downs,” Kelly said. “We better figure it out. And, as I said earlier, whichever team ends up being the most disciplined team from penalties standpoint (is) going to be at a big advantage in this league. It’s a challenge to everybody.”

The Patriots showed a balanced offense — 250 yards rushing, 245 passing.

“We had the momentum all game,” said Mallett, competing with Garoppolo for the No. 2 job.

Garoppolo picked right up after Brady left, throwing scoring passes on his first two series, a 15-yarder to James Develin and a 4-yarder to Brandon LaFell for a 21-7 lead. The pass to LaFell was New England’s 35th offensive play. Philadelphia had just six at the time.

The Eagles tied it at 21 at halftime with two scoring passes in the last four minutes, a 6-yarder from Foles to Zach Ertz and a 6-yarder from Sanchez to Arrelious Benn.

The score was tied 28-28 before touchdowns by two free agents, a 17-yard catch by Brian Tyms from Mallett and a 10-yard run by Roy Finch that gave the Patriots a 42-28 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

Barkley’s 27-yard scoring pass to Henry Josey cut the lead to seven points on the last play of the third quarter. The Eagles drove to the Patriots 1-yard line, but were stopped on fourth down with 4:39 to go.

“We still have some things to get better at,” Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans said, “but that’s what preseason is for.”

NOTES: Every quarterback put up solid numbers. Garoppolo was 6 of 12 for 72 yards and two touchdowns and Mallett completed 7 of 11 for 92 yards and a touchdown while playing the entire second half. For the Eagles, Foles was 8 for 10 for 81 yards and one touchdown, Sanchez was 11 for 12 for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Barkley was 9 for 12 for 132 yards and one touchdown. … The Eagles top two receivers missed the game, Riley Cooper with a foot injury and Jeremy Maclin with a hamstring injury.

___

AP NFL websites: 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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote