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Alex Smith leads Chiefs past Dolphins 34-15

By WTOP Staff

STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — When Alex Smith threw his third touchdown pass to seal the Kansas City Chiefs’ first victory, he sprinted to the end zone to join the celebration, then raised two fingers to signal his teammates to line up for a 2-point conversion attempt.

With the offense finally rolling, the Chiefs were eager to pour it on.

Smith shook off five sacks, backup Knile Davis ran for a career-high 132 yards, and the injury-plagued Chiefs earned some pain relief by beating the Miami Dolphins 34-15 on Sunday.

“Momentum’s a funny thing,” Smith said. “It’s hard to put your finger on it, but certainly this helps. This is what you’re looking for — a win on the road. A tough win, I thought. This is how you get started, for sure.”

Smith led touchdown drives of 62, 76 and 66 yards in a span of four possessions as Kansas City took a 21-10 lead. The defense protected the early advantage, allowing only four third-down conversions and sacking Ryan Tannehill four times.

The Chiefs improved to 1-2 and won for only the third time in their past 11 games, including the postseason.

“I forgot how good winning feels,” linebacker James-Michael Johnson tweeted.

The Dolphins fell to 1-2, another wobbly start for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000.

“We have to look at everything we’re doing,” coach Joe Philbin said. “There was no phase where we played well enough to win.”

Smith, who ranked 35th and last in the NFL in passing after two weeks, went 19 for 25 for 186 yards, with three of his incompletions dropped. Joe McKnight caught two touchdowns.

The Chiefs were without seven starters, including running back Jamaal Charles, who was inactive because of a high ankle sprain. Davis, subbing for Charles, became a workhorse with 32 carries and scored on a 21-yard run.

“I think I stepped up,” Davis said. “I ran hard — made a few mistakes, but I took the workload today and I enjoyed it.”

Kansas City totaled 23 first downs despite shaky pass protection. One sack of Smith resulted in a safety, and another by Jared Odrick forced a fumble that set up the Dolphins’ only touchdown.

Miami’s Lamar Miller gained 108 yards rushing, but poor tackling and a sputtering passing game doomed the Dolphins.

Tannehill struggled for the third game in a row, this time against a pass defense ranked as the worst in the NFL. He went 21 for 43 for 205 yards.

Many fans streamed for the exits in the final minutes, while others lingered to boo the offense.

Even when the Dolphins put up points, they could look inept. One scoring drive covered zero yards in four plays, sandwiched between rookie Jarvis Landry’s 74-yard kickoff return and Caleb Sturgis’ 51-yard field goal.

And after Brian Hartline caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, he celebrated by practicing his putting stroke and was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I just like to golf, and it just popped into my head,” Hartline said. “I guess I’ve got to go back to dancing.”

Philbin gave his many second-guessers fresh fodder. When the Dolphins ran on third-and-10 at the Chiefs 45, they gained 4 yards and had to punt. On fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs 30, they attempted a 47-yard field goal and missed it in a scoreless game.

And trailing by six points in the fourth quarter at midfield, Tannehill was sacked trying to throw on third-and-1, forcing a punt. The Dolphins were also penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct when an official ran into a coach along the sideline.

Two plays later, Kansas City had its own gaffe, losing 15 yards on a botched exchange on a double reverse.

The Chiefs’ early highlights were a pair of 64-yard punts by Dustin Colquitt. But the offense got going midway through the second quarter, mounting a 62-yard drive capped by Davis’ touchdown run.

They wrapped up the victory with a touchdown after a 47-yard punt return by Frankie Hammond Jr. gave them the ball at the Dolphins 44. Smith hit McKnight to make it 27-15 with 4:35 left.

“My hat’s off to the players,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I’m proud of them, the effort that they gave.”

Notes: McKnight’s TDs were the first of his career from scrimmage. … Dolphins LT Branden Albert was called for holding and beaten for a sack against his former team. … Before the game, the Dolphins inducted Jeff Cross, Tony Nathan, Ed Newman and Sam Madison into their Walk of Fame.

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

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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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