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Seahawks hold off Broncos 26-20 in overtime

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — For a coach that preaches fourth-quarter performance as one of his guiding team philosophies, Pete Carroll will cringe looking back on what happened in the final 15 minutes Sunday.

It didn’t matter with Russell Wilson overcoming all of Seattle’s fourth quarter mistakes.

“It all go erased because our guys rallied and finished the game off,” Carroll said.

After seeing a 17-3 fourth-quarter lead evaporate behind Peyton Manning, it was Wilson’s turn in the spotlight in overtime. Wilson passed, scrambled and put Seattle in position for Marshawn Lynch’s 6-yard touchdown run and a 26-20 Seahawks victory.

For a quarterback that’s done nothing other than win since being named the Seahawks’ starter in 2012, Wilson added another notch to his resume.

Wilson never let the ball leave his possession in overtime. After watching Manning tie the game in the final minute of regulation by going 80 yards without a timeout, the last thing Wilson wanted was to give Denver another chance at Super Bowl retribution.

Wilson was 4 of 6 passing for 35 yards and added another 21 yards rushing in overtime. After showing a reluctance to run in regulation, Wilson took off, twice using his legs to covert needed third downs.

And it was capped by Lynch plowing his way to the goal line and diving into the end zone.

“When it wasn’t there I knew I had to fight for it,” Wilson said. “Sometimes in a game you have to pick and choose when to stay in there a little bit longer, when to throw it and when to slide. And that’s not one of those times, I don’t believe.”

Wilson finished 24 of 34 for 258 yards and touchdown passes of 39 yards to Ricardo Lockette and 5 yards to Lynch, both late in the first half. Wilson rushed for 40 yards, most coming in overtime, while Lynch added 88 yards rushing.

Denver and Manning showed resiliency absent in Seattle’s 43-8 rout in the Super Bowl. Manning threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme with 18 seconds left in regulation and his 2-point conversion pass to Demaryius Thomas to tie the game at 20.

Denver had capitalized on Seattle’s mistakes earlier in the fourth quarter, coming up with a safety and an interception of Wilson to put itself in position for the improbable rally. Manning threw for 303 yards and came within one TD pass of 500 for his career.

Yet, the Broncos still came up short.

“We’re not saying, ‘At least the score was better than the Super Bowl,’ or anything like that,” Denver defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “We felt like we could come in here and win. It didn’t happen that way so there’s nothing to be happy about.”

Here’s some other things that stood out as both teams stand at 2-1 entering their bye weeks:

SANDERS ON TARGET: Manning’s favorite target was Emmanuel Sanders, even with the return of Wes Welker to the lineup. Sanders had 11 catches for 149 yards — both career highs — and was targeted 15 times total. Sanders often worked against Seattle CB Byron Maxwell, but even when he was lined up against Richard Sherman, Manning was looking in his direction.

“At some point the competitive nature in you has to take over and I think that’s what happened toward the end,” Sanders said.

BEAST MODE: Lynch finished with 88 yards rushing, but he also showed his chops as a receiver. He caught a 5-yard slant route for a TD late in the first half.

ABSENT RUN GAME: Even before Denver turned almost exclusively to the pass game trying to rally, Montee Ball and the run game found little space against Seattle’s defense. Ball finished with 38 yards rushing on 14 carries and the Broncos were held to 36 yards rushing total. Two of Denver’s three worst rushing performances since 2012 have come against Seattle.

SUFFOCATING D: One constant during Manning’s tenure in Denver has been getting in the end zone in the first half. Only once in the regular season had Denver failed to score a first-half touchdown until Sunday when the Broncos only points were a 24-yard field goal. Between Brandon McManus’ field goal late in the first quarter and the start of the fourth, Denver ran one offensive play in Seattle territory. Seattle outgained Denver 237-84 in the second and third quarters combined.

PUNTING POWER: Lost in the chaos of the fourth quarter was an amazing day of punting by Seattle’s Jon Ryan. He averaged 50.2 yards per kick and had five punts inside the Denver 20. But his most impressive kick came after Lynch was stopped in the end zone for a safety. Ryan punted the free kick from his 20; Denver’s Emmanuel Sanders caught it at his 1.

“I thought if anybody would be the MVP it would be Jon,” Carroll said. “He had a phenomenal game and you can’t expect a guy to do any better than that.”

___

Online: 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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