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Atlanta’s line has setback in 32-7 loss to Texans

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons’ focus this offseason was to improve an offensive line that was among the worst in the league last year.

In a 32-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night, the unit suffered what could be a major setback.

Left tackle Sam Baker was carted off the field in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Coach Mike Smith didn’t provide any details of the injury after the game and said they would know more on Sunday.

“It’s tough,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “Certainly don’t know the severity of Sam’s injury, we’ll wait and see how that shakes out. But you never like to see anybody go down, especially in the preseason.”

Baker started 16 games in 2012, but played in just four games last season because of a left knee injury that required surgery in November.

Jadeveon Clowney, the top overall pick in the draft, made big hits behind the line on consecutive plays and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a touchdown pass to DeVier Posey to help the Texans to the win.

Houston selected Clowney out of South Carolina to form a powerful 1-2 pass-rushing attack with J.J. Watt.

Watt dressed but did not play on Saturday, and Clowney proved too much for Atlanta (1-1). He tackled running back Antone Smith for a 2-yard loss and then beat Baker for a sack on Ryan.

“He’s big, a very athletic guy, very quick,” Ryan said. “Had two plays that kind of threw us off rhythm with the sack and the tackle for a loss in the run game. So very impressed.”

Ryan liked the work of his offensive line despite the sack by Clowney.

“It was encouraging to see what they did up front against a pretty good front seven,” Ryan said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but I think they’re doing a good job.”

The Falcons selected tackle Jake Matthews with the sixth pick in the draft and added guard Jon Asamoah to revamp a line that gave up 44 sacks a year ago.

“Those guys have worked really hard and taken their fair share of criticism last season and throughout this offseason,” Ryan said. “But those guys have been diligent, they’ve done a great job and I think they’re doing a really good job through the first two games.”

Smith has been impressed with the progression of Matthews, who is starting at right tackle.

“I thought Jake did some good things,” Smith said. “He got matched up and had some tough battles, but I thought he did a nice job.”

Smith wouldn’t speculate as to whether Matthews could move to left tackle, a position he played last season at Texas A&M, if Baker is out for an extended period.

Jonathan Grimes returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and Andre Hal returned an interception 64 yards for another score for the Texans (1-1).

Ryan went 3 for 7 in a quarter and a half of work and wide receiver Julio Jones caught two passes in his first live-game action since he broke his right foot in Week 5 last season.

“I thought Julio looked good,” Ryan said. “It’s good to have him back. Obviously he’s a dynamic player for our offense and somebody that we feel like is a game changer.”

Fitzpatrick completed 9 of 12 passes for the Texans. He went 3 for 5 and had a 10-yard scramble on Houston’s initial scoring drive and rookie Alfred Blue, a sixth-round pick from LSU, finished it with runs of 10, 3 and 1 yard to put the Texans in front.

Sean Renfree replaced Ryan with 6:20 left in the first half and led the Falcons on an 11-play, 66-yard touchdown drive. Renfree, competing with T.J. Yates for the backup job behind Ryan, found Devin Hester on a 12-yard pass with 1:32 left for the tying score.

Rookie Tom Savage played one series before Fitzpatrick returned to lead the Texans in the final 90 seconds before halftime. Fitzpatrick had a 15-yard scramble and then connected with Keshawn Martin for a 31-yard gain to the Falcons 15.

A Falcons’ penalty moved the ball to the Atlanta 8, and Fitzpatrick avoided the rush to his right before finding Posey in the back of the end zone with 19 seconds left.

Case Keenum started the second half for the Texans and guided a drive to the Atlanta 22 before Kemal Ishmael intercepted him near the goal line.

Anthony Denham blocked Matt Bosher’s punt from the end zone, and Grimes scooped up the loose ball and ran 17 yards for a score.

Yates played the fourth quarter under constant pressure, and tried a futile tackle attempt on Hal’s return. Matt Bullough also intercepted Yates, setting up a 33-yard field goal by Chris Boswell.

“It was bad,” Yates said of his night. “Not a lot of stuff went right. There was miscommunication out there on the field. Bad passes. Just everything went wrong.”

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AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan contributed to this report.

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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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