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Browns have big problems with opener looming

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Even by the Browns’ low standards, and they don’t get much closer to the bottom of the NFL barrel, Saturday’s 33-14 exhibition loss to St. Louis was dreadful.

Atrocious. Upsetting. Yuck.

For those in attendance, it was let’s-get-out-of-here bad. For TV viewers, it was turn-the-channel or go-to-bed bad.

Cleveland’s offense, with quarterback Brian Hoyer making his first start since being picked over rookie Johnny Manziel, couldn’t move the ball. The defense, missing Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, couldn’t stop the Rams, who rolled up 472 total yards with most of them coming after starting quarterback Sam Bradford sadly injured his knee again.

“There’s no sugarcoating it,” first-year coach Mike Pettine said. “We didn’t play well.”

And with less than two weeks to prepare his team for the Sept. 7 season opener at Pittsburgh, Pettine and his staff have to fix numerous problems — and they could be multiplying.

The Browns could learn the fate of star wide receiver Josh Gordon in the next few days. Gordon is facing a possible yearlong suspension from the NFL for another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy and there’s a strong belief his punishment will be handed down before the Browns have to reduce their roster to 53 by Saturday.

Pettine said the team has “a feel for the range” of Gordon’s ban, which will take away Cleveland’s biggest game-breaking threat and allow defenses to stack the line of scrimmage to stop the Browns’ running game.

“We’re just patiently waiting,” Pettine said after practice Monday.

As they prepare for Gordon’s penalty, the Browns practiced without their second-best offensive player, Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron.

Pettine said Cameron, who had 80 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns last season, was excused from practice as the Browns got ready for Thursday’s exhibition finale against Chicago.

Pettine declined to elaborate on Cameron’s absence.

“He’s just dealing with an issue,” he said. “He was excused today from practice. I won’t go into any other detail on that.”

Pettine did say “the expectation” is Cameron will only miss one day, but the vagueness of the coach’s answers raised more questions.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder sat out several practices earlier this month with a sprained shoulder, which also kept him out of the preseason opener in Detroit. Cameron returned on Aug. 18, but he looked rusty in Cleveland’s loss at Washington. Against the Rams, Cameron had two catches for 18 yards.

Cameron’s absence is not believed to be related to the shoulder. But with all their early struggles, the Browns need their starters on the practice field as much as possible.

Hoyer hasn’t done much to quiet the detractors — and there’s a legion of them — who feel Manziel should be starting. Hoyer completed 10 of 16 passes for 84 yards, not awful, but he also threw an ugly interception into traffic and fumbled on a strip-sack.

Hoyer has been on the field for 14 series during the preseason and the Browns have scored just one touchdown — against the Rams’ backups — and converted only 3-of-14 third downs.

“Overall, offensively we need to get first downs and we need to score points,” Pettine said, summing up the unit’s most pressing issues. “It’s basic stuff.”

On defense, tackling — as basic as it gets — was an issue.

The Browns were without Haden (foot) and nickelback Buster Skrine, who recently had surgery on his thumb. St. Louis exposed rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert and Cleveland’s defensive front didn’t put enough pressure on Bradford, rookie Austin Davis or Shaun Hill.

“We took some steps back,” defensive end Phil Taylor said. “We weren’t full force, we had some guys out but we’ve just got to go out and correct the mistakes. That game was not the defense we are capable of being.”

Time is running short for the Browns to make repairs. The Steelers are right around the corner.

“Two weeks is more than enough,” Taylor said. “We’ll be good.”

NOTES: Pettine will play his starters in the fourth preseason game, a rarity for most teams. He said Hoyer likely will play “less” than a quarter. Manziel will finish up the first half and maybe play into the third, and QB Rex Grossman is expected to make his debut for Cleveland. … WR Nate Burleson practiced for first time since Aug. 6, when he injured his hamstring. .. After releasing 14 players, the Browns claimed offensive linemen Karim Barton and Donald Hawkins off waivers from Philadelphia. Barton played at Morgan State. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Hawkins is a rookie from Texas. The Browns roster is at 78 and has to be down to 75 by Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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Online: 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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