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Titans struggling in 2-game skid with Locker hurt

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — First-year Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt has talked about how adversity helps bring a team together.

Well, his Titans need to unite quickly because they have plenty of issues they need to work their way through.

The Titans have been outscored 59-17 in consecutive losses, and they are among the NFL’s most penalized teams. Worse, Jake Locker, who has struggled in this skid, now has an injured wrist on his throwing arm putting his status for Sunday’s game at Indianapolis (1-2) in question.

Whisenhunt said Monday there’s no sense of panic yet as the Titans (1-2) work with 13 games remaining. The coach said he’s been 1-2 before with other teams and reached the playoffs, including last year when he was offensive coordinator in San Diego.

“We all need to understand what happened the last two weeks is not acceptable, and we’re looking at ways to change it,” Whisenhunt said.

Locker’s play and health are the biggest issues right now.

The quarterback missed nine games due to injuries last year, and Locker is in the final year of his contract. Whisenhunt says he’ll be patient with Locker, something he wasn’t known for in Arizona where he cycled through quarterbacks after Kurt Warner retired.

Locker got his right wrist bent underneath at some point in the 33-7 loss at Cincinnati, and Whisenhunt didn’t know exactly when his quarterback was hurt. The coach said Locker strained something in his wrist and told Whisenhunt he could barely grip a ball at the end of the game. Locker had an MRI exam on Monday, and Whisenhunt said they’ll know more later this week.

The quarterback has put together his worst back-to-back games by passer rating in these two games, and he was 17 of 34 for 185 yards with two interceptions for a rating of 41.9.

He cost the Titans at least a chance at a field goal at the end of the first half. After right tackle Michael Oher’s unnecessary roughness penalty backed the Titans up, Locker rolled left and threw back toward the middle where he was picked off by Carlos Dunlap in the end zone. Locker’s first interception set up Cincinnati’s second TD when the Titans trailed only 12-0.

Locker now ranks ahead of only Josh McCown of Tampa Bay and Minnesota’s Matt Cassel among the NFL’s top 32 quarterbacks for passer rating, and he’s ahead of only Chad Henne (53.8 percent) and Drew Stanton of Arizona (51.6 percent) completing 56.4 percent of his passes.

Whisenhunt said the issues weren’t all Locker’s fault.

“We didn’t communicate very well up front with our protections,” Whisenhunt said. “We didn’t snap the ball correctly a couple times. We got out of synch. Those are all things we’re learning about every facet of us going forward. We handled it better in Kansas City.”

Only Oakland has scored fewer points through three games than the Titans who have yet to score a point in the first quarter this season.

Ryan Succop missed a pair of field goals wide right. Quentin Groves was flagged for holding on a punt in the end zone for a safety, and Oher’s penalty for cleaning up a pile late moved the offense back from the Cincinnati 10 to the 25 just before Locker’s interception. The Titans finished with 11 penalties for 99 yards, and only three NFL teams have more penalties.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who won the starting cornerback spot over Coty Sensabaugh, had his worst game. The second-year player out of Connecticut was responsible for four penalties and gave up the play of the game when he played neither the ball nor Andy Dalton in allowing the Bengals quarterback to catch a pass and score a touchdown.

Cornerback Jason McCourty said everyone taking turns making mistakes doesn’t make them feel better. It’s a similar refrain in recent years for a franchise that has posted one winning season in the last five years.

“The only focus is what we have this year,” McCourty said. “Instead of focusing on snowballing effects and what could happen, we just need to focus on what we have to do to improve.”

Notes: Whisenhunt said TE Delanie Walker, the team’s leading receiver, hurt a shoulder.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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