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Seahawks enter bye week after OT thriller

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The defensive performance Pete Carroll got from his Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl last February led to the most lopsided championship game in more than 20 years.

Even though the margin was smaller and overtime was necessary, Carroll came away from Sunday’s 26-20 overtime win over Denver believing the Seahawks played better defensively than they did in the Super Bowl.

Hard to believe when 43-8 was the first result.

“I was anxious to see if we would play and look like we played back in the Super Bowl against these guys as far as breaking on the ball and running and hitting, and I thought we did better,” Carroll said Monday. “I really thought we played routes better and some things they threw at us, the perimeter screen game that’s really just phenomenal for them, we just eliminated it and the guys just did a fantastic job and gave us a chance to play a dominant day of defensive football.”

Just how dominant Seattle (2-1) was on the defensive side got overshadowed by what Peyton Manning was able to accomplish in the final minute of regulation, leading Denver to a tying touchdown and 2-point conversion by going 80 yards in just 41 seconds and without any timeouts.

But up until that point, the Seahawks were on pace for one of the best days ever against an offense with Manning under center. Take away the Super Bowl and Manning had never been held to less than 17 points since taking over as quarterback of the Broncos.

For 59 minutes, Seattle limited Denver to 12 points and 252 total yards. It would have been the fewest total yards by a Denver offense under Manning by a wide margin until the final minute. Denver’s longest play until the final drive was a 19-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders.

“We really dominated the whole game,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said. “Both sides had breakdowns, but we made this game hard on ourselves. When you really look at it, we were in control the whole game. We kind of had those backed up situations with our offense and we had a lot of miscues so it put us in a bad spot and we didn’t capitalize.”

That all changed on Denver’s final possession. Carroll said Denver used a specific route combination on four pass plays. Seattle played it well twice. The two times they didn’t, Manning hit Sanders for 42 yards and Jacob Tamme on the 26-yard touchdown.

“They did a really nice job and it’s just a route principle that we didn’t play very well. He took advantage of it and did a great job,” Carroll said.

After a gauntlet facing three of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, the Seahawks get a break with a bye before returning to action on Monday, Oct. 6, at Washington. Seattle knew it was going to be a test opening the year facing Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Manning in consecutive weeks.

Because Seattle is a mostly veteran team, Carroll felt comfortable giving his team the entire week away before getting ready for the 13-week grind that will follow.

Seattle also has an injury concern, making the bye week beneficial. Strong safety Kam Chancellor had discomfort in his ankle in the Week 2 loss to San Diego to the point the Seahawks were unsure of his status to play against the Broncos. Chancellor did not practice last Wednesday, but treatment on his ankle had him feeling better by the end of the week. He played without restriction on Sunday, finishing with nine tackles and a key fourth-quarter interception of Manning.

Carroll said Chancellor’s ankle could be something the Seahawks have to manage the rest of the season.

“He was really hampered in the San Diego game and it showed,” Carroll said. “He was regretting the way that came out and he was hoping he could get back. We didn’t have a great outlook going into the week, we weren’t sure, but it turned really quickly on Thursday.”

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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