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Patriots’ sluggish offense beats Raiders 16-9

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots had trouble getting into the end zone.

Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork made sure the Oakland Raiders stayed out of the end zone in the final minute.

An interception by the 325-pound Wilfork near his goal line gave the heavily favored Patriots the ball with 51 seconds left, and they ran out the clock to hold off the Raiders 16-9 on Sunday.

“It was a team play,” Wilfork said after his third career interception. “I just happened to catch it.”

The ball deflected off Logan Ryan after Rob Ninkovich jarred it loose from intended receiver Denarius Moore. On the previous play, Darren McFadden’s 6-yard potential tying run into the end zone was nullified by a holding penalty against guard Gabe Jackson.

“When I turned around and everybody wasn’t coming to celebrate with me, I knew something wasn’t right,” McFadden said said.

Jackson didn’t think he held. The penalty gave Oakland first-and-goal from the 12.

Then Ryan redeemed himself for a pass interference penalty on the play before McFadden’s run. Just as Raiders coach Dennis Allen disagreed with the holding call, the Patriots’ Bill Belichick questioned the pass interference.

In spite of a sluggish offense that settled for three field goals by Stephen Gostkowski and just one touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots (2-1) won their home opener for the 12th time in 13 seasons.

The Raiders (0-3) lost their 15th straight game in the Eastern time zone. They were held to three field goals by Sebastian Janikowski and finished with no interceptions despite several opportunities.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Oakland defensive end LaMarr Woodley said. “When we have an opportunity to catch the ball we need to catch it.”

Brady completed 24 of 37 passes for 234 yards and became the third quarterback with 150 regular-season wins behind Brett Favre (186) and Peyton Manning, who came into Sunday with 169. And Brady is 57-5 in his last 62 home games, including the playoffs, posting another win despite a mediocre offensive performance.

The Patriots scored 10 points in the last 4:14 of the second quarter to take a 10-3 lead — but it could have been 14-3. Brady capped a 15-play, 84-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski, who shook off linebacker Kaluka Maiava and caught the ball as he went over the middle.

“We did just enough to get the victory,” Gronkowski said. “Sometimes it’s frustrating, but what we did today is not always going to get the job done.”

The Patriots had a chance for another touchdown when they reached the 2-yard line with 8 seconds left in the half. But Dan Connolly’s snap was low and Brady picked it up and quickly threw an incompletion, stopping the clock with 3 seconds remaining. Gostkowski then kicked a 21-yard field goal.

“We have first-and-goal on the 1 1/2-yard line and settle for a field goal,” Brady said. “You just can’t do that.”

Derek Carr completed 21 of 34 passes for 174 yards for Oakland. But with running back Maurice Jones-Drew sidelined for the second straight week with a right hand injury, the rookie remained winless as a pro. McFadden started in Jones-Drew’s spot and rushed for 59 yards on 18 carries.

The Patriots relied on their running game early against the NFL’s worst rushing defense and picked up 63 yards on the ground in the first half but just 16 the rest of the way.

“Sometimes you got to grind them out,” Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said. “An ugly win is better than a pretty loss.”

The Raiders planned to leave after the game for London, where they face the Miami Dolphins in Wembley Stadium next Sunday.

“I was looking forward to it being after a win,” Oakland safety Charles Woodson said. “It’s a great opportunity to represent the NFL, but it’s a business trip.”

NOTES: Patriots defensive tackle Sealver Siliga didn’t return after hurting his foot in the first quarter. … Oakland wide receiver Rod Streater and safety Tyvon Branch each left the game with a broken foot. … Edelman had 10 catches for 84 yards, extending his streak to nine regular-season games with at least six receptions. … Janikowski’s field goals were from 49, 37 and 47 yards.

___

AP NFL websites: http://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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