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Chiefs falter in 26-10 loss to Titans in opener

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs hardly ever lost the turnover battle a year ago.

They made sure that Jamaal Charles got plenty of touches, made big plays on special teams and created havoc for opponents with a swirling, blitzing defense.

On Sunday, just about everything that went right for Kansas City during a surprising season that ended with the playoffs went wrong in a 26-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Alex Smith threw three interceptions, nearly half of his total of seven from all of last year. Charles touched the ball a mere 11 times.

The Chiefs missed a field goal, failed to force a turnover and lost defensive starters Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito to Achilles injuries.

“You’re certainly not going to win doing the opposite (of last year),” said Smith, who just a week ago signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with Kansas City.

“Not executing in the red zone, all those things we did last year to win, we didn’t do them today,” he said. “We didn’t execute, didn’t execute in a lot of phases, especially offense.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid was the first to take the blame for that.

“It was a terrible game I called,” he said. “I didn’t put them in position to make plays, and I put the defense in a bind a number of times.”

Meanwhile, Jake Locker threw for 266 yards and touchdown passes to Kendall Wright and Delanie Walker, while Ryan Succop was perfect on four field-goal attempts against the team that released him just last weekend. Jason McCourty added a pair of interceptions in a sterling performance.

“There’s no question this was a special day,” Succop said. “It was an awesome day. Great to come back to Kansas City. I’m very thankful the day went the way that it did.”

Succop’s big afternoon only added insult to the Chiefs’ injuries.

Johnson, who needs 15 tackles to reach 1,000 for his career and break Gary Spani’s franchise record, will likely have to wait until next season. He ruptured his Achilles tendon late in the first half, going down with nobody around him and needing a cart to leave the field.

DeVito followed early in the second half with nearly the exact same injury.

“We’ve got some guys that need to step up and get ready to play,” Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston said. “Guys go down all the time and you need to step up.”

The Chiefs were already missing key pieces.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended for the game following an arrest last November, and right tackle Donald Stephenson served the first game of his four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas was out with a hamstring injury and linebacker Joe Mays was missing after surgery on his wrist.

The guys who were still around? Well, Charles was a total non-factor, carrying seven times for 19 yards and catching four passes for 15 yards.

“It’s a long season, just one game,” Charles said. “We have a long way to go. We can get worse or we can get good. My job is to get the team good.”

Kansas City jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Cairo Santos banged a 35-yard attempt off the right upright and through for the first field goal of his career. But everything spiraled out of control quickly, beginning with a 47-yarder that Santos missed off the left upright.

The Titans rolled to a 10-0 halftime lead, and then Locker capped the first drive of the second half with his TD pass to Wright, who managed to contort his body enough to catch the pylon.

“That was one of our expectations, that we were going to execute and we were going to be efficient on offense. And that is what we were able to do,” Locker said. “I’m proud of the guys.”

Proud of Succop, too, who knocked through two more field goals to put the game away.

“I had a great five years in Kansas City,” he said. “The fans are fantastic, the organization is great. There is not one bit of bitterness from my end.”

Notes: Chiefs RT Jeff Allen left with a strained biceps and did not return. Ryan Harris finished the game in his place. … Titans LB Zach Brown left with a shoulder injury. … Chiefs S Eric Berry had a career-high 14 tackles. … Zach Fulton started at LG for the Chiefs.

___

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