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Bills’ feel-good start ends in loss to Chargers

By WTOP Staff

NICK MENDOLA
Associated Press

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback EJ Manuel and the Buffalo Bills’ feel-good start to the season were derailed by the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Manuel and the offense were inconsistent. The Bills’ defense proved porous. And very little else went right for Buffalo in a 22-10 loss.

“We just didn’t play how we wanted to play,” Manuel said. “We left some plays on the field. When you get a chance to hit a home run, you’ve got to hit a home run.”

Manuel went 23 of 39 for 238 yards and a touchdown. But 75 of those yards came during a meaningless final drive that ended with Manuel throwing an incompletion into the end zone.

On defense, the Bills (2-1) were picked apart by Philip Rivers, who went 18 of 25 for 256 yards and two touchdown passes to Eddie Royal. Rivers and the Chargers (2-1) built off a 30-21 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

“It was disappointing,” Bills cornerback Corey Graham said. “They did pretty much the same thing the whole game, and we gave it to them the whole game.”

Fred Jackson scored on an 11-yard catch-and-run for Buffalo, which blew an opportunity to get off to a 3-0 start for only the third time since 1993.

Injuries were an issue, too. Left guard Chris Williams (back), safety Da’Norris Searcy (ankle) and receiver Marcus Easley (left knee) did not return.

Manuel had difficulty finding chemistry with his receivers. At times he threw and they simply weren’t looking for the ball, including a pair of incompletions intended for first-round draft pick Sammy Watkins.

The rookie was late turning for one pass, which sailed past him on what was a costly incompletion. It came on fourth-and-3 at the Chargers 43 with 8:25 left.

“Just throwing the ball a hair too soon,” Manuel said. “I may be seeing something that he may not see and vice versa. That’s just a matter of us getting on the same page consistently.”

Watkins had two catches for 19 yards, a week after making eight receptions for 117 yards and a score in a 29-10 win over Miami.

Manuel also gave up a safety after being penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone with 3:23 remaining.

Coach Doug Marrone refused to single out his second-year quarterback.

“We need everyone to make plays,” Marrone said.

San Diego took control on consecutive possessions spanning halftime. Nick Novak capped a seven-play, 61-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 13-3 with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.

Rivers opened the third by marching the Chargers 80 yards on 14 plays, scoring on a 5-yard pass to Royal. Rivers completed 4 of 6 attempts for 56 yards on the possession and converted all three third-down chances.

The Chargers defense had three sacks and limited the Bills to 11 first downs and 171 yards of offense through three quarters.

San Diego beat Buffalo despite a depleted offensive backfield. Already missing starting running back Ryan Mathews (knee), the Chargers lost backup Danny Woodhead early to a right ankle injury. Donald Brown stepped in and finished with 89 yards of total offense.

The Bills were unable to muster a threat after Jackson cut the Chargers’ lead to 20-10 late in the third quarter.

Buffalo’s next drive ended with Corey Liuget sacking Manuel for a 17-yard loss.

The sell-out crowd began heading for the exits with 5:31 left when defensive end Kendall Reyes sacked Manuel for a 10-yard loss to force a punt on fourth-and-20 at Buffalo’s 10.

___

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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