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Raiders rookie Derek Carr focuses on job at hand

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — As a rookie quarterback seeking his first NFL win against Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots, Derek Carr has too much to worry about himself to focus on questions about his coach’s job security.

But if the Raiders don’t start winning soon, those questions about Dennis Allen’s job will only get louder.

Instead of showing the progress that owner Mark Davis had hoped to see this season in the first two games, the Raiders have shown few signs of improvement in losing to the New York Jets and Houston.

“I don’t get into those things,” Carr said about Allen’s job status. “I don’t even talk about them even to my family. If it even tries to come up, people want to ask questions, I don’t even talk about it, because my sole focus is taking what Coach Allen says, applying it to what I need to do, and then spreading it out and leading the offense. So as long as that’s going on, whatever the head man says, that’s what I go by.”

Allen is in his third year as coach, having won just four games in each of his first two seasons as the Raiders tore down the team he and general manager Reggie McKenzie inherited from late owner Al Davis.

But with more than $60 million in salary cap room and a near full complement of draft picks this offseason, the Raiders were hoping to be able to rebuild quickly.

Instead they opened the season with a 19-14 loss to the Jets that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated and then fell behind 27-0 after three quarters of a 30-14 loss to Houston in the home opener.

That last game led veteran defensive back Charles Woodson to say the team “sucked” and he was “embarrassed” by the performance.

“We need to go out and prove it on the field,” Allen said. “Talk is cheap. We’ve got to go out and play well. I think we’ve got more talent on this football team and we need to go out there and play like it on Sunday.”

With a “home” game in London against Miami following this week’s trip to New England, Allen could be running out of time to get things changed. He said he has not talked with Davis this week, reporting as usual to McKenzie in the “normal chain of command.” He also said his only focus is on getting ready for the Patriots.

Receiver Rod Streater said the only way to deal with the questions is to silence them by winning games.

“We want to win,” Streater said. “We feel like we have the right coaches, the staff. We just have to continue to make the progress. Stop killing ourselves making little mistakes and hurting ourselves. Once we do that, I feel like we can be a really good team.”

Carr has been one of the few bright spots for the Raiders through two games. While he has shown some signs of being a rookie with a poor decision on a drive-killing interception in the second quarter last week, Carr has done a good job of dealing with pressure in the pocket.

He has completed 47 of 74 passes for 414 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions through the first two weeks. He has also been sacked just twice and showed the athleticism to run for 57 yards, including 41 on a zone-read keeper.

He has done all that against a defense run by Jets coach Rex Ryan and one keyed by Houston star J.J. Watt. Facing Belichick’s team is just the latest challenge.

“I know that they’re going to be ready,” Carr said. “I know that they’re going to be sound. I know that they’re going to be very disciplined and that has shown because they’ve won however many Super Bowls. Again, he’s a great coach, so it’ll be good.”

NOTES: RB Maurice Jones-Drew (right hand), Streater (hip flexor), LB Sio Moore (ankle), DE Justin Tuck (illness) and CB Carlos Rogers (knee) all did not practice. Rogers’ injury is not believed to be serious and Streater said he expected to play Sunday. The status of Moore and Jones-Drew for this week is uncertain. … The Raiders re-signed LB Bojay Filimoeatu to the practice squad. Filimoeatu was added to the active roster last week before getting cut to make room for new WR Vincent Brown.

___

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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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