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Rams blow 21-0 lead, lose 34-31 to Cowboys

By WTOP Staff

JEFF LATZKE
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jeff Fisher knew the St. Louis Rams had to keep pushing.

That’s why the coach decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches at the Dallas 15 in the third quarter. And why he’d do it again, even though Zac Stacy was thrown for a 1-yard loss.

Fisher’s strategic error was only one in a series of mistakes that added up to a 34-31 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday in which the Rams squandered a 21-0 lead.

A flubbed snap, a critical penalty, blown coverage, a dropped pass, a back-breaking interception returned for a touchdown. St. Louis (1-2) did it all.

The only time the franchise blew a bigger lead in a loss came in 1982 when the Rams were in Los Angeles. The Packers rallied from 23 points down, and Denver also wiped away a 21-point deficit that season.

“With games like that, we’ve got to finish,” said St. Louis defensive end Robert Quinn, who led the NFC with 19 sacks last season and has none through three games this year. “I put that on the defense. We get a 21-point lead. No way we should lose that.”

Terrance Williams caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:13 to play, and Bruce Carter returned an interception 25 yards for a TD on the next snap as the Cowboys (2-1) tied the biggest comeback in franchise history. It was the largest deficit they’ve ever overcome in regulation.

On the drive before Williams’ touchdown, St. Louis tight end Jared Cook dropped a potential touchdown pass that hit him in both hands in the end zone. A catch would have given the Rams a chance to go up by eight.

“I feel like I let this game slip through my hands and it’s my fault,” Cook said. “As a man, I’m stepping up to say that.”

Third-string quarterback Austin Davis, who threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns in his second career start, let Cook know on the sideline that he shouldn’t blame himself and then backed it up in his postgame comments.

“Obviously he can’t put this game on himself,” Davis said. “You can go down the list. There were numerous plays that we all could have made to change the outcome of the game.”

Were there ever. And Davis was among those to blame, with both of his interceptions coming in the fourth quarter — the one returned by Carter for a score and another on a leaping grab by Morris Claiborne to put the game away.

It all started to unravel late in the first half when rookie Lamarcus Joyner was called for pass interference in the end zone on Romo’s third-down pass to Cole Beasley. DeMarco Murray scored on a 1-yard run on the next play, and the Cowboys got the ball back when center Scott Wells rolled a snap between his legs that came nowhere near reaching Davis in the shotgun.

A roughing-the-passer penalty against Eugene Sims put Dallas in range for Dan Bailey’s 29-yard field goal that cut the halftime lead to 21-10. Dez Bryant then caught a 68-yard scoring pass in the third quarter when Janoris Jenkins released him on a deep route, and the momentum had fully turned.

On the fourth-and-1 play, Carter was on the sideline being evaluated for a possible head injury and Keith Smith — signed off the practice squad this week because starting linebackers Rolando McClain and Justin Durant were injured — was on the field. But the Cowboys still stuffed Stacy.

“We knew we had to keep (putting) points up to stay ahead of these guys,” Cook said. “We knew what kind of team Dallas was.”

Davis three a 1-yard TD pass to Lance Kendricks on the game’s opening drive and added a 51-yard score to Brian Quick before Jenkins’ 25-yard interception return, the fifth defensive touchdown in his three seasons, put the Rams up 21-0 with 6:06 to go in the first half.

“Obviously we didn’t get the job done. We were probably a play short here or there,” Davis said. “It felt good. We were rolling. You just kept waiting to make that big play to get the win. Tip your hat to Dallas. They made those plays and we didn’t.”

Notes: Murray had 100 yards on 24 carries. He set a franchise record with 253 yards against St. Louis in 2011 and had 175 yards last season — the two most productive games of his career coming against the Rams. … Dallas matched the 21-point deficit it overcame in 1984 against New Orleans and 1999 against Washington. Both of those victories came in overtime.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.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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