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Eagles fall 42-35 to Brady, Patriots

By WTOP Staff

MATTHEW CARROLL
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly was disappointed with his team’s sloppy play on Friday night.

“The rules are not going to change,” Kelly said after the Eagles were whistled 10 times and committed four turnovers in a 42-35 loss to the New England Patriots.

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

“We’ve got to learn how to not get our hands in people’s faces, and we’ve got to understand that after 5 yards, it’s illegal contact. If you can’t play within the rules, you can’t play in this league.

“You don’t have to agree with the speed limit, but if the cop’s out there with the speed gun right there, you better take your foot off the gas, or he’s going to pull you over. That’s the bottom line. There’s rules. We’ve got to follow them.”

Penalties hurt Philadelphia (0-2) for a second straight week after the Eagles were whistled nine times in their preseason opener against Chicago.

They committed four turnovers in that game, too.

“We just have to play cleaner,” starting quarterback Nick Foles said. “The refs are really keying in on a couple things this season, and they’re calling it. They’re not shying away from it.

“So, it’s not like we can talk them out of a call. They make their call, they’re going to go about it. I don’t think a ref’s ever changed his call.

“But it does stall drives. You get things moving, and all of a sudden there’s a penalty, it does take away a little bit from the rhythm of an offense.”

New England quarterback Tom Brady had a touchdown pass, after tossing an interception that Cory Williams returned 77 yards for a touchdown, as the Patriots overcame 11 penalties and rebounded from a poor preseason debut.

Brady’s backups also were sharp in their competition for the No. 2 quarterback job with rookie Jimmy Garoppolo throwing two touchdown passes and Ryan Mallett passing for a score and running for another.

The Eagles rarely had the ball early.

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

New England had two offensive series before Philadelphia had even one since the Patriots’ first ended with Williams’ interception.

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

Williams hurt his hamstring on the play and didn’t return.

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. Mark 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 quarterback Matt 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 the slew of penalties and Kelly had plenty of mistakes to point out after a sloppy performance that followed three days of joint practices with the Patriots.

“You’re just handing people first downs. We better figure it out,” Kelly said. “Whichever team ends up being the most disciplined team from a penalties’ standpoint is going to be at a big advantage in this league.

“It’s a challenge to everybody. We’ve all got to figure it out.”

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.

___

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
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