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Kendricks out for Sunday’s game against 49ers

By WTOP Staff

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line will be banged up heading into Sunday’s road game at San Francisco.

But the defense will also be without a key player.

Inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks will miss his second straight game with a calf injury suffered in the Eagles’ Week 2 win against Indianapolis.

With Kendricks out of the lineup last week, the Washington Redskins rolled up 511 yards of offense and quarterback Kurt Cousins had a quarterback rating of 103.4.

This week the Eagles get 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who can hurt a defense as much with his running ability as he can with his passing.

Kendricks, if he was healthy, would have been a key to containing the mobile Kaepernick.

“Kaepernick has got that running quarterback skill set with a huge arm, so he can throw it vertically,” Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis said this week.

“When he extends a down, he’s probably at his best. So we’re back to where we have to defend him as a runner and as a thrower, him in the pocket, him out of the pocket. It just stretches you out a little bit that you have to defend more things when you’re dealing with a quarterback of his talents.”

In Kendricks’ place, the Eagles will use a rotation of Casey Matthews, Emmanuel Acho and rookie first-round pick Marcus Smith, who was drafted to be an outside linebacker but played his first regular-season snaps last week inside.

“I think it’s a benefit to him and us,’ Davis said of Smith. “He gets to go inside. You move inside, the visual part of it changes, you’ve got down pullers, it’s a learning curve that’s a little bit different, so at first he’ll be a little more hesitant, but as he gets reps and we grow him, we’ll see if he has the skill set in there.

“He really does add another dynamic of a pressure, of a blitzer in there from the inside linebacker position, especially in our nickel package. So we’ll just continue to grow him and see where he is in there.”

Another problem the Eagles face without Kendricks is San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis. Davis is coming off an injury, a sprained ankle that sidelined him last week in the loss at Arizona. Davis practiced all week for the 49ers, but on a limited basis.

“If he’s back, he’s a handful,” Eagles coach Chip Kelly said of Davis. “He’s probably the fastest tight end in the league. He’s got legitimate speed from the tight end spot that can really stretch you.”

Acho, who may get the assignment of covering Davis at least at the start, respects his abilities.

“I know he is obviously one of the most explosive tight ends in the game, one of the best athletes in the game,” Acho said after Thursday’s practice.

“But you can’t fear that by any means. We just have to do a good job of knowing our assignments, knowing where we have to help if we’re in man coverage and utilizing that help. We just have to execute our game plan, whether we’re in man or zone.”

NOTES: Other than Kendricks, center Jason Kelce (sports hernia) is listed as out. Kelce, who had surgery this past week, says he hopes to be back for the Monday night game against Carolina on Nov. 10. Rookie wide receiver Josh Huff, who has missed the first three games with a shoulder injury, is listed as questionable this week.

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Online:

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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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