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Vikings lose Cassel and game in New Orleans 20-9

By WTOP Staff

GUERRY SMITH
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings are still searching for a running game in the absence of Adrian Peterson, and now will have to hope rookie Teddy Bridgewater can carry their passing offense.

Starting quarterback Matt Cassel fractured several bones in his left foot during a scramble in the second quarter, and the Vikings could not overcome an early 13-0 deficit behind Bridgewater, losing 20-9 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The loss capped a week of distractions as Minnesota first announced that Peterson would play after he missed last Sunday’s 30-7 loss to New England, then later changed course and said the star running back would leave the team indefinitely to deal with child-abuse allegations.

His replacement, former undrafted free agent Matt Asiata, finished with 12 carries for 35 yards, and the Vikings rushed for only 59 yards.

Bridgewater, a first-round pick from Louisville, completed 12 of 20 for 150 yards while leading two scoring drives that both ended with field goals.

The Vikings planned to let him learn behind Cassel this year, but that option vanished after Cassel was brought down hard on a 5-yard scramble early in the second quarter.

“We can’t worry about what we don’t have,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said. “We have to worry about what we do have and how we go forward. No one is going to feel sorry for us. No one is going to cry about we don’t have this guy or that guy.”

Minnesota still made it close against New Orleans, which has won 18 in a row at the Superdome under coach Sean Payton.

After giving up touchdowns on New Orleans’ first two drives, the Vikings were as close as 13-9 on Blair Walsh’s 40-yard field goal early in the second half, but an unnecessary roughness penalty on what should have been a drive-stalling sack helped New Orleans pull away again.

Captain Munnerlyn got to quarterback Drew Brees first and was called for a personal foul when he slammed the star quarterback to the turf while safety Robert Blanton piled on.

“It was very frustrating because I feel like it changed the game for my teammates,” Munnerlyn said. “I pride myself on not making crazy plays, and I felt like that cost us the game. I wasn’t thinking about a flag at all. I never heard a whistle, so I was just finishing the play.”

Soon after, Brees found rookie Brandin Cooks on a screen for a 19-yard gain to the Minnesota 18, and then hit Marques Colston, who surged through Blanton’s tackle attempt to make it a two-score game again.

Brees went 27 of 35 for 293 yards and two touchdowns.

“That was straight Hulk Hogan, 1985, WrestleMania suplex,” Brees said of Munnerlyn’s throw-down. “Hey, it got us 15 yards, got us another set of downs and obviously ended up helping us.”

Until then, the Vikings had held the Saints scoreless on four consecutive drives, but Bridgewater could not take advantage by getting a touchdown. He tripped over tackle Matt Kalil’s feet as he tried to scramble on his first possession, forcing Minnesota to settle for a 30-yard field goal. He missed Asiata on a third-down pass before the Vikings’ last field goal.

“I think I did pretty good for the most part, but I missed a couple of easy throws,” Bridgewater said.

The Saints entered the game looking about as competitive as a winless team could be, having held leads in the final 10 seconds of regulation in each of their first two games before losing by a field goal or less.

It looked as if they would have a much easier time against the Vikings early. But Minnesota hung around, unlike against New England last week, when the Patriots scored the final 30 points.

“I told them if we get punched in the mouth this week, we are going to punch them back,” Zimmer said. “We saw improvement today.”

They could not generate enough offense, though, getting outgained 396-247. Zimmer refused to speculate on when or if Peterson would return, but the Vikings know their road is much more difficult without him.

“It’s tough,” Munnerlyn said. “It’s Adrian Peterson, and he’s a Hall of Fame running back. But I always believe in next man up. People get hurt all the time, and I’m just taking it like he’s injured. We’ll let the legal process play out and go from there.”

NOTES: Minnesota came out of the game with other injuries in addition to Cassel’s. Zimmer said guard Brandon Fusco hurt his foot, cornerback Josh Robinson pulled his hamstring and linebacker Chad Greenway re-injured his ribs.

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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