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Patriots’ defense faces the unknown in Carr

By WTOP Staff

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots’ defense is preparing for a bit of the unknown in Oakland rookie quarterback Derek Carr this Sunday.

Carr has played two games in the NFL, so there’s not a whole lot of video on him. New England coaches have watched plays from his days at Fresno State.

“He’s an athletic guy back there,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on a conference call Tuesday. “He can certainly get the ball down the field. We know he’s a smart kid.

“I think all the things that we saw from him at Fresno and when he’s had an opportunity to do them in this league have continued to show up. Obviously the systems are different but from a skill standpoint, I think his skills are his skills and they’re pretty good.”

The Raiders have lost both of their games — 19-14 on the road to the New York Jets and 30-14 last week at home to the Houston Texans. Carr went 47 for 74 passing for 414 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. His quarterback rating is 80.6, which happens to be just ahead of New England’s Tom Brady near the bottom of the AFC.

Carr is last in the AFC in third-down passing, with Brady just ahead of him. But he’s also Oakland’s leading rusher. He has 55 yards, 41 of them on the same play.

“He can do something back there that can cause the defense to be under duress for the game,” said Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. “So you really have to be very disciplined and make sure you don’t get beat — not only with his arm, but with his legs if he’s out of the pocket.

“He’s also doing a nice job of making sure the offense is getting into the right particular plays. He’ll take a lot of plays and change them based on the looks and things like that they’re seeing from the defense. He’s doing a good job of getting the ball to the guys who are going to make plays for him.”

Patricia’s defense, which fell apart in the second half of the opener at Miami and then looked bad on Minnesota’s opening drive, then came alive against old friend Matt Cassel. New England picked off the former Patriot four times.

Now the defense faces a team that has some names but really hasn’t scared anyone so far.

“They are certainly going to feature the running game with a player like (Darren) McFadden and if a player like (Maurice) Jones-Drew is out on the field at the same time, you certainly have a dual threat for a run game and now can be threatened on both the inside and outside edges of the run game,” Patricia said.

McFadden has gained just 52 yards on 16 carries, while Jones-Drew has 11 yards on nine tries — and the Raiders will also use the wildcat.

NOTES: Belichick said he has no way of knowing if the change in the league’s drug policy would get the four-game suspensions of cornerback Brandon Browner and wide receiver Brian Tyms reduced. . Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on 37-year-old Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson: “I almost played against Charles in high school a long time ago. We were going to in the playoffs, and one of us lost — I don’t remember who it was. He’s obviously been doing it for an incredibly long time at an elite level and he still is.” … The Patriots signed linebacker Darius Fleming, offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann and defensive lineman Kona Schwenke to the practice squad and released running back Marcus Thigpen and defensive lineman Cameron Henderson from the practice squad. Fleming had just been released on Saturday.

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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