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Brown shines in Cardinals’ loss to Vikings

By WTOP Staff

JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Late in the second quarter of Arizona’s second preseason game, backup quarterback Drew Stanton lofted a pass down the sideline and second-year receiver Jaron Brown out-jumped cornerback Xavier Rhodes to haul in the 35-yard completion.

The highlight-reel catch stunned Rhodes and many of the Minnesota Vikings fans in attendance. As Cardinals starting quarterback Carson Palmer watched the play unfold from the sideline, it didn’t surprise him one bit.

Brown had two catches for 86 yards to continue his impressive preseason, but the Cardinals lost 30-28 thanks to a late touchdown drive from Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on Saturday night.

Brown, who was undrafted out of Clemson last season but still played in all 16 games as a rookie, is turning heads in his second training camp.

“Big play every day,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. “Drew has thrown that pass every single day in practice and he’s come down with it. I don’t care if it’s Patrick (Peterson), (Antonio Cromartie) or who is on top of him. He’s really developing a confidence to become a really solid player.”

He also caught a short pass on the opening drive, made Rhodes miss and raced 51 yards to set up Arizona’s first touchdown of the game.

“I saw glimpses of it last year as a rookie. It just wasn’t consistent,” said Palmer, who was 4 for 8 for 91 yards in two drives with the starting offense. “He consistently makes that play. He’s done it all camp long. He’s made that kind of catch, that 50-50 ball, he’s probably made that every three days of camp. I don’t know if a ball has hit the ground yet when he’s had that opportunity. I’ve pulled him aside a couple times and told him now this is what you do.”

His emergence is giving Palmer another playmaker on offense along with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

“I definitely should’ve scored on at least one of them,” Brown said. “John (Brown) made a great block on the first one and Drew had a terrific throw on the second one and I should’ve scored on both of them. But hopefully next time I’ll be able to do that.”

Stanton was 6 for 8 for 81 yards and a touchdown to former basketball player Darren Fells and the Cardinals looked poised to win again after a Holy Roller-type touchdown with 1:11 to play. Center John Estes made a bad shotgun snap to Ryan Lindley on fourth-and-goal from the Vikings 6, and the ball rolled around on the ground. Estes dived to the turf, scooped the ball out of the pile backward and running back Zach Bauman picked it up and ran it in for the score that gave the Cardinals a 28-24 lead.

“I saw a play I hadn’t seen in 22 years, that touchdown. It was designed,” Arians deadpanned.

Officials ruled that the snap was a backward pass and not a fumble because no player ever had possession of the ball. That means any player was eligible to advance it, so Bauman’s touchdown stood after a review.

“Nobody ever had control of the ball, so nobody ever had possession,” referee Craig Wrolstad told a pool reporter. “So nobody ever had possession, so it was not a fumble.”

Estes said he was trying to redeem himself after the poor snap.

“It was fourth down. It does no good just recovering it or falling on it because the game will be over,” Estes said. “Me being the center, having a bad snap, that’s a terrible play by my part. So I kind of lucked out that I was able to think of that. It was a rugby-style play, I guess.”

Lindley, in a fight with rookie Logan Thomas for the third quarterback spot, was 8 for 15 for 64 yards. Three of Arizona’s projected starters on defense didn’t play: linebackers John Abraham and Kevin Minter (pectoral) and free safety Tyrann Mathieu (knee). Abraham didn’t join the team until this week, due to personal reasons the Cardinals have not detailed.

“There were a couple throws he should’ve made,” Arians said of Lindley. “But mostly he ran the thing pretty good.”

They held out three starters on offense, too, with wide receiver Michael Floyd (groin), guard Jonathan Cooper (toe) and center Lyle Sendlein (calf) kept on the sideline. Backup tackle Max Starks limped off with a left ankle injury and didn’t return.

___

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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