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Saints’ defense bracing for dynamic Dallas offense

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Saints safety Jairus Byrd is certain New Orleans’ defense has corrected costly early season errors.

If he’s wrong, the Saints could be in for a long Sunday night against a Dallas offense driven by Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and DeMarco Murray.

Byrd said Wednesday that proof of New Orleans’ progress on defense is evident on coaches’ video of the Saints’ Week 3 victory over Minnesota, even though the Vikings’ offense was missing key players.

“You go by what you have on film. Did you do the fundamentals well?” Byrd said. “The first two games we were beaten by fundamentals — communication and tackling. Did we improve on that? That’s what you look at and (the improvement) showed up.”

The Vikings were without star running back Adrian Peterson, then starting quarterback Matt Cassel went down early in the second quarter with a broken foot, leaving rookie Teddy Bridgewater to lead the offense.

The Saints did not give up a touchdown and held the Vikings to 247 total yards while sacking Bridgewater twice, by far the best performance by the Saints’ defense. New Orleans ranks 24th in the NFL in yards allowed per game at 397.7 and 29th in yards passing allowed at 278.3 per game.

“They’re a really good defense,” asserted Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, whose defensive coordinator in 2012 was current Saints coordinator Rob Ryan.

“We obviously know Rob Ryan well,” Garrett said. “He’s an outstanding football coach and challenges you in a lot of different ways.”

After practice Wednesday, the Saints’ defenders said keys to containing Romo would include discipline among defensive linemen and stamina among defensive backs because Romo routinely scrambles laterally to keep passing plays alive.

“You want try to let the sacks come to you,” outside linebacker Junior Galette said. “You don’t want to rush him, because he’s going to try to run around and make plays with his feet.”

Meanwhile, defensive backs have to be prepared to cover longer than usual.

“Any time a quarterback can extend a play, it’s tough on a defense,” Vaccaro said. “You’ve got to keep playing.”

Romo has been known to make risky throws, particularly under pressure. This season, he has as many interceptions — four — as touchdown passes.

“You’re aware of guys that like to take chances. He’s one, but a lot of great quarterbacks take chances,” Vaccaro said. “Brett Favre took a lot of chances. You’ve got to respect Tony Romo as a quarterback. … He’s got the ability to make all of the throws.”

Romo’s primary target has been receiver Bryant, who was 20 receptions — twice as many as Witten, who is second on the club with 10.

Byrd said knowing that Romo will look for Bryant is not enough.

“You’ve got to see how they’re getting him the ball, too,” Byrd said, noting that Bryant can turn a short catch into a long gain as easily as he can beat a defender deep. “He’s that good of a player, a strong runner, where they’re just trying to get the ball in his hands. You know that’s where they’re trying to get the ball, but it can come in any different fashion.”

The Saints are expected to have top cornerback Keenan Lewis on Bryant much of the game, and may give him safety help as they did when the teams met last season. Bryant had only one catch, albeit for 44 yards.

Bryant called Lewis “a great cornerback.”

“He is one of those guys that you have to be on top of your game. You are not just going to beat him. He is a physical corner,” Bryant said. “This is a game where you have to be well-prepared because if you are not you are going to get beat.”

As for Witten, Vaccaro is aware that as a safety he could wind up covering the Cowboys’ star tight end, and hopes he gets that chance.

“I love the challenge. I don’t like those blocking tight ends,” Vaccaro said. “I like guys that can get involved in the passing game. That makes it fun.”

Meanwhile, the Saints are by no means underestimating Dallas’ ground game. Murray already has rushed for 385 yards and three TDs in three games.

“He’s the foundation of everything,” Galette said of Murray’s role in the Cowboys’ offense. “If we stop him, then I feel like we can do a good job getting after Romo.”

Notes: Saints RB Mark Ingram (hand), C Jonathan Goodwin (ankle), TE Ben Watson (groin) and LB David Hawthorne (ankle, knee) were among those who missed practice Wednesday. Ingram and Hawthorne did not play last week, while Goodwin and Watson were injured Sunday.

_

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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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