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New-look Dolphins offense remains a mystery

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Miami wide receiver Mike Wallace let the world know the worst-kept secret about the revamped Dolphins offense: No one has really seen much of it yet.

With that, it’s no wonder why Bill Belichick says Week 1 games are the toughest.

Schemes and rosters change every offseason — every week in a lot of cases — and one of the biggest questions heading into the opening week of the NFL regular season might be how the Dolphins’ offense looks under new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.

If the preseason was supposed to be an indicator, well, Wallace insists that’s not the case.

“About 12 percent,” Wallace said when asked how much of the offense the Dolphins showed during the exhibition games. “We have a big playbook, so we didn’t run hardly anything in the preseason. Maybe 12-15 percent.”

If true, then it’s reasonable to assume that the Patriots will be doing a little bit of guessing when they visit the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon in the regular-season-opener for both clubs.

Guesswork is a constant in Week 1 for all teams. But then again, Belichick — the Patriots’ coach going for his 200th regular-season victory — seems to have the Opening Day mystery riddles figured out. Consider: the last time the Patriots lost in Week 1 was 2003, when Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was 15 years old.

“The opening game is probably the hardest game of the year to prepare for because there are just unknowns,” Belichick said. “Teams have held things back that they haven’t shown in preseason. You’re not sure exactly how they’re going to use their personnel, what different wrinkles they have. I know there’s a little bit of that from week to week, but there’s a lot more of it now.”

And Belichick might have come up with a way to get some questions answered this week.

The Patriots signed safety Don Jones on Monday — one day after Jones was waived by the Dolphins, and after he spent the entirety of training camp going up against the new-look offense.

“We’re not really concerned about it,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said.

The Dolphins tied for 23rd in the 32-team NFL last season with 32 offensive touchdowns. The 12 teams that made the playoffs a year ago averaged just over 45 touchdowns from scrimmage.

It’s not a new issue for Miami, either. Over the last four seasons, only four teams have gotten fewer touchdowns from their offenses than the Dolphins, so Lazor was brought in this offseason to change things around.

“We’ve got to do a good job getting points on the board,” Lazor said. “That’s how we can contribute to winning. There are a lot of ways to do it. There are some weeks where we’re going to do it running the ball more. Some weeks we’re going to do it throwing it more.”

Lazor spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, working as the quarterbacks coach under head coach and offensive guru Chip Kelly.

The Eagles’ offense had 28 touchdowns in 2012. With the new scheme — one the Dolphins will mimic in many ways — Philadelphia scored 51 last season.

The Dolphins can only hope they see anything close to that level of improvement.

“It could be really good,” Dolphins center Mike Pouncey said. “You’ve seen it last year with the Philadelphia Eagles. They obviously had one of the best offenses in the NFL. We’re hoping to go out and do the same thing with our offense. We’ve got the playmakers to do it. Tannehill’s been playing really good, we fixed the offensive line and just can’t wait to see how it looks on Sunday.”

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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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