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Jaguars looking for better results in this opener

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — When asked about last year’s miserable season opener, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts III shook his head and tried to recall the score.

“That was it, 28-2?” he asked Wednesday. “I thought it was like 40-2.”

Nope, just a 26-point loss — at home.

It was the worst opener in the franchise’s 19-year history, a debacle against Kansas City in which Jacksonville managed 178 yards, punted 11 times, allowed six sacks and even got a bad bounce on the team’s most positive play — a blocked punt that trickled out of the end zone for a safety instead of a touchdown.

The beatdown set the tone for Jacksonville’s 4-12 season, which included eight double-digit losses in the first eight games and 10 total.

The Jaguars are looking for considerably better — and more competitive — results this time around, beginning Sunday at Philadelphia.

“You want to see progress,” Shorts said. “You want and need to see progress when you’re working, so we’ve got to take the next step. That’s the next step for us. You want to see improvement from day to day, week to week, year to year.”

Jacksonville wrote last season off as a transition year, the first under general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley. The Jaguars turned over much of their roster, worked the waiver wire constantly, changed quarterbacks and strained the coaching staff and the locker room with every move.

Things are much more stable now.

And maybe the results will prove it.

“We’re ready to put it to the test,” tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “You don’t want to play this game and get blown out every week. You can sit at home and do that. That’s not what we’re in this for. We’re in this thing to give our best, and in games last year, in one way or another, we didn’t. It wasn’t a lack of effort. We just didn’t play our best games.

“This year we’re looking forward to coming together and being the team we know we can be.”

There are signs the franchise is headed in the right direction.

Jacksonville was competitive in all four preseason games, and maybe more indicative, has seen a number of waived players picked up by other teams.

The opener should provide more even evidence about how much improvement, if any, Jacksonville has made heading into Caldwell and Bradley’s second year.

“You just have to look at Week 1 as a learning experience no matter what, even if you do get the victory,” cornerback Alan Ball said. “You definitely want to come out strong and hitting on all cylinders, but that doesn’t always happen. There’s going to be 16 teams that walk away with a loss this week.

“It can definitely be a tone-setter. It can also build momentum. But it can also be a learning experience.”

Jacksonville learned a lot from its 2013 opener, mostly that the franchise’s latest rebuilding effort would be a considerable undertaking.

Caldwell and Bradley have tried to speed up the makeover by signing several high-priced veterans in free agency. Those guys should pay dividends, especially on defense.

But how much they help remains to be seen. The opener, at the very least, will be a preview.

“If you play great, it can help you build momentum for the season,” Lewis said. “If you play horrible, it can go the other way. If you sink, you can sink too low and never come up to play great. If you play great and get too high, then you can get knocked on your butt. You’ve got to find that even balance.”

The bottom line is Jacksonville would like to be in more games in the fourth quarter. The majority of NFL games are decided by seven points or less, and the Jags were down by double digits at halftime eight times last season. So a start would be being close late, but it’s not the goal.

“Just being competitive in games doesn’t satisfy us,” Ball said. “That’s not the mentality we want. We want to get better every day, every week, position by position, group by group. But at the end of the day we still want results as well. But the results we’re shooting for in this league is to be competitive in games.

“No matter where you go and what team you’re on, you want to win. That’s the step we’re stepping toward.”

___

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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