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Turnovers get the best of Texans against Giants

By WTOP Staff

MIKE FARRELL
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Houston Texans struggled to find a rhythm on offense with star running back Arian Foster sidelined with a hamstring injury. Turning the ball over three times only made things worse.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw his first three interceptions of the season, the Texans had a punt blocked and gave up 193 yards rushing to the New York Giants in a 30-17 loss Sunday.

The mistakes led to 17 points for the Giants — and the total might be pushed to 20 if one counts a decision by Houston coach Bill O’Brien to go for a first down at his own 46 early in the second half.

“We’re not going to win any games when I play like that, especially in the first half with the turnovers,” said Fitzpatrick, who was 20 of 34 for 289 yards. “Sometimes interceptions happen, but it was just poor play by me.”

And a stunning reversal for the Texans (2-1), who came in tied for the league lead with a plus-5 turnover differential. The Giants were at the other end of the spectrum at minus-6 with no takeaways.

On Sunday, the Giants won the turnover battle 3-1, got pressure from their front four and made the big plays in a much-needed win.

“Anytime you turn the ball over three times, commit penalties, have trouble stopping the run and have a punt blocked, it’s not a formula for success,” O’Brien said.

Having Foster in the backfield would have helped.

Rookie Alfred Blue stepped in, carrying the ball 13 times for 78 yards.

“I didn’t find out until we got to the stadium,” Blue said. “He (Foster) put a strong right arm on my shoulder and just said go out there, be calm and just play football.”

The Giants just played it better on Sunday in assuring they won’t have another 0-6 start.

Rashad Jennings ran for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown and Eli Manning threw two TD passes as the Giants overcame some early mistakes.

The victory not only put some life back into the Giants (1-2) after two disappointing efforts, it also ended any chance of a second straight horrible start for Tom Coughlin’s team.

The Giants got a lot of contributions. Victor Cruz made a 26-yard touchdown catch, his first since Game 4 of last season, and danced the salsa.

Fitzpatrick threw a 44-yard scoring pass to Damaris Johnson and ran for another score for the Texans while Manning was highly efficient, going 21 of 28 for 234 yards and no interceptions.

New York outgained Houston 262-83 in the first half in taking a 14-0 lead on the touchdown pass to Cruz and a 1-yard run by Jennings, which was set up by Antrel Rolle’s 25-yard interception return to the Texans 2.

“I saw a huge difference today. I think we grew as a team,” Rolle said. “Coach Coughlin did a great job keeping us together. He tried to get us over the top, and we’ve got to thank him for that. When Coach takes care of you and throws you a bone, it makes you want to go out and play your butt off for him. Everyone did a great job of being on the same page. We were all-in today.”

The lead should have been a larger. Tight end Larry Donnell fumbled at the Texans 4 in the first quarter after a reception, and Pro Bowl long snapper Zak DeOssie rolled one past holder Steve Weatherford on a short field-goal attempt in the second.

Houston added to its woes early in the third quarter, going for a first down on a fourth-and-1 from its own 46 and failing.

Brown hit a 39-yard field goal to make it 17-0 before Houston rallied behind Fitzpatrick. Three passes to DeAndre Hopkins set up a field goal, and Johnson’s TD closed the gap to 17-10 with 2:13 left in the quarter.

Jennings, who carried 34 times, had three rushes for 28 yards as the Giants drove for a field goal to extend the lead to 20-10 early in the fourth.

Damontre Moore blocked Shane Lechler’s punt to give New York the ball at the Houston 29, and Manning and Fells hooked up for touchdown for the second straight week.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepted Fitzpatrick on the next series, setting up Brown’s final field goal.

NOTES: Jennings’ previous career high was 150 yards vs. Houston last season while playing for Oakland. … The Texans had not allowed a sack in their first two games. The Giants got two and had five quarterback hurries. … New Jersey native Brian Cushing had a game-high 17 tackles. … J.J. Watt had a sack and two tackles for losses. … Johnathan Joseph had a fumble recovery for the Texans. … Lechler completed a 10-yard pass to Blue on fourth-and-1 from the Houston 39 on the Texans’ first series. Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara ended the drive at the New York 36 with an interception.

___

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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