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Expectations high again for Rivers, Chargers

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers’ bandwagon is ready to roll.

With baseball’s Padres heading toward their eighth straight year of missing the playoffs, the Chargers are set to own San Diego, at least until having to share the spotlight with Steve Fisher’s San Diego State men’s basketball team starting in November.

Fans are stoked again after their beloved Bolts got hot in December, got some big help from other teams — and even an official’s missed call — to end a three-year playoff drought. They won a game in the postseason for the first time since 2008 before the magic ran out against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.

Getting back to the playoffs won’t be easy. The Broncos loaded up after their embarrassing Super Bowl loss to Seattle and the Chargers play the NFC West, including the Seahawks at home in Week 2.

So, the fans’ dreams of a deep playoff run could be a year or so away.

Nonetheless, the Chargers should still be entertaining behind resurgent quarterback Philip Rivers. Another winning season won’t be a bad thing as ownership continues its quest — now in its 12th year — to get a new stadium built.

Here are some things to watch for as the Chargers open their season:

ROLLING RIVERS: The Chargers’ success is going to start and end with Rivers. Now in his ninth season as starter, Rivers is coming off a career year that earned him Comeback Player of the Year and proved he wasn’t washed up, as some critics had thought. Rivers didn’t think he had gone anywhere, but his interceptions and the number of times he was sacked in 2011-12 hurt his productivity.

Rivers thrived last year in coach Mike McCoy’s uptempo offense, completing an NFL-high 69.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

There’s no reason to think he won’t be just as good this season.

LOADED O: Rivers will have plenty of guys to choose from in divvying up touches.

Running back is now a three-headed monster with the addition of Donald Brown from Indianapolis. He joins Ryan Mathews, coming off a career-high 1,255 yards and in his contract season, and Danny Woodhead, the tough, crafty little third-down back. The Bolts needed another thumper to back up Mathews, who gamely played on an injured ankle late last season before finally being forced out of the playoff loss at Denver.

Star tight end Antonio Gates returns, still seeking his first NFL championship. Even if Gates has lost a step, he’s still got sure hands — he had a team-high 77 catches last year. The former Kent State hoops star can still position his body to pick up first downs and remains a big threat inside the 20-yard line.

Keenan Allen will try to avoid a sophomore slump after leading all NFL rookies in every significant receiving category. Teams will look to take him out of his game after he caught 68 passes for 1,001 yards and eight scores. The return of Malcom Floyd from a scary neck injury is big, but counting on him for a full season isn’t wise because he’s made it through 16 games only once in his 10-season career. Eddie Royal is good, but Vincent Brown hasn’t practiced since the first day of camp.

MAGIC MIKE: An unlikely scenario made McCoy’s first season with the Bolts a success. Now comes the hard part — the encore.

The Chargers won their last four games, coupled with two-game losing streaks by both Miami and Baltimore, to end a three-year playoff drought. Oh, and there was that botched call against San Diego on Ryan Succop’s missed 41-yard field goal attempt with 4 seconds left in regulation in the season finale, a win against Kansas City.

PASS RUSH: The Chargers are counting on the past — Dwight Freeney — and potential — Melvin Ingram — to put pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Freeney could end up in the Hall of Fame because of his 107 1/2 career sacks. But he’s 34 and entering his 13th NFL season. He made it only four games into last season, had one-half sack, then was sidelined by a quadriceps injury.

Ingram returned late in the season after tearing up a knee during offseason workouts.

WEAKNESSES: The defensive line is thin and has been abused by opponents during the exhibition season. That will put more pressure on the solid linebacking corps. Manti Te’o, bothered by a right foot injury during his rookie season, now has an injured left foot.

The Chargers hope the addition of rookie Jason Verrett and veteran Brandon Flowers from the division rival Kansas City Chiefs will help the back end of a defense that struggled mightily against the pass last year. Because, you know, they still have to face Manning twice a season.

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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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