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Rams struggle in 34-6 loss to Vikings

By WTOP Staff

ST. LOUIS (AP) — When starting quarterback Sam Bradford was lost for the season with a knee injury for the second straight year, the St. Louis Rams still hung onto hopes of building success around a stout defense.

After a season-opening 34-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, questions are already starting to surface.

The Rams contained All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson but had no answer for receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who ran for 102 yards — including a back-breaking 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter — in the blowout.

“It’s always concerning when you lose a game and you’re not competitive in it. We were competitive for a while there but things got out of hand and the wheels fell off,” St. Louis defensive end Chris Long said.

Shaun Hill made his first start in four years in place of the injured Bradford and couldn’t lead the Rams to any points before coming out at halftime with a left quad strain.

Austin Davis, who spent much of the past two seasons on the Rams’ practice squad, but had never played in the NFL, took over and didn’t fare much better against a Minnesota defense that gave up the most points in the league during a 5-10-1 season last year.

Hill’s last pass was intercepted by Josh Robinson with 1:09 to go in the first half, setting up Matt Cassel’s 8-yard pass to Greg Jennings for a 13-0 lead.

Patterson broke at least four tackles on the 67-yarder that put the Vikings up 20-3 late in the third quarter. He had carries of 23 and 12 yards in the first half and added three receptions for 26 yards. Patterson had three touchdowns rushing on 12 carries as a rookie last season.

“It’s like when all the breaks came, they went opposite of our way,” said Rams offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, who left the game with a neck injury in the fourth quarter.

“Some of the craziest things happened in the game. Some of the most unexpected things happened in the game. “We’ve been dealing with that ever since the preseason. We keep trying to fight and fight, and the next thing you know — Bam! — something else happens. There’s nothing else to say about this game today. We’re disappointed.”

“It’s very frustrating,” Long said. “Frustration is putting it lightly.”

Mike Zimmer won in his debut as the Vikings’ head coach after spending the previous 14 seasons as a defensive coordinator with Dallas, Atlanta and Cincinnati.

Minnesota got four of its five sacks in the second half against Davis, and Harrison Smith’s 81-yard interception return made it 34-3 late in the fourth quarter.

Brian Quick had seven catches for 99 yards for St. Louis, which was penalized 13 times for 121 yards and managed only 72 yards rushing with a 3.3-yard average.

“It gets down to what you’re depending on as the catalyst for the offense,” offensive tackle Joe Barksdale said. “You can’t light a powder keg with just a powder keg.”

The 34-year-old Hill ended up 8 for 13 for 81 yards. He was extremely guarded about his injury after the game, although he held out hope that he’d be able to play next Sunday at Tampa. Davis had 192 yards on 16 for 23 passing.

“We didn’t play very well today,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “I wasn’t anticipating that out of us. Just disappointed. It seemed that throughout the game, players took turns making drive-killing mistakes or allowing drives to continue.”

“There were things that just should not happen,” he added.

The margin of defeat matched the largest for the Rams at home in a season opener. St. Louis also lost its opener by 28 points at Seattle in 2009, when the team went on to finish 2-14.

“That’s not the end all, be all of the season but it’s Week 1. We wanted to show ourselves better than that,” Long said. “It’s our job to prove that that’s not indicative of who we are.”

NOTES: Long (left ankle) was sidelined after tackling Peterson in the third quarter. Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes (groin) left in the third quarter. … OL Greg Robinson, the second overall pick of the draft, was limited to a handful of special teams snaps the first half, but came in at guard after Saffold’s late injury. … Blair Walsh kicked three field goals of 50-plus yards at St. Louis as a rookie in 2012 and he drilled a 52-yarder to open the scoring. He was 26 for 30 last season, three of the misses from beyond 50 yards. … Rams K Greg Zuerlein had been 7 for 13 career from 50-plus before hooking a 50-yarder later in the first.

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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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