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As Fox says, Broncos aren’t a well-oiled machine

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — In the aftermath of another letdown against the Seattle Seahawks, Denver coach John Fox was asked if he could nevertheless take some positives out of the Broncos losing in overtime rather than getting blown out as they did in the Super Bowl.

“Do you mean, is there a moral victory? The answer to that would be no,” Fox retorted. “But like all games, you have things you do well and things you don’t do well. We call it ‘the good, the bad and the ugly.'”

In that vein, Denver’s 2-1 start has provided plenty to ponder in each category as the Broncos take an early bye this weekend.

THE GOOD:

–Peyton Manning: The five-time MVP is off to another solid start, throwing eight TD passes against one interception. At age 38, Manning has regained his full strength three years after neck surgery and his 108.5 QB rating is just a tick behind league leader Russell Wilson’s 108.9. But it sure looks as if he misses Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno so far, doesn’t it?

–Emmanuel Sanders: The prized free agent leads the league in catches (25) and yards (334). He’s set career highs in both categories each of the past two weeks — 8 for 108 against K.C., 11 for 149 against Seattle. No more Pittsburgh purgatory for this speedy receiver who called Denver “wide receiver heaven” when he signed.

–Linebackers: Von Miller is rounding into shape with 14 tackles and two sacks over his past two games, but the real eye-openers have been Nate Irving and Brandon Marshall. They are tied for the team lead with 29 tackles and each has a sack, leading a defense that has kept teams out of the end zone five times already when facing goal-to-go.

–Julius Thomas: The Pro Bowl tight end followed up his breakout 2013 season with a spectacular start, catching three TD passes in the opener against Indy. His TD catch sparked Denver’s fourth-quarter rally from a 14-point deficit to force OT at Seattle.

___

THE BAD:

–Hangover II: So far, the Broncos’ high octane offense has the look of a sequel that can’t live up to the original. After setting records last year, they can’t stay on the field because of missed blocks, dropped passes and bad calls. Manning isn’t without blame; he was intercepted when he threw into triple coverage last week while trailing 17-12 late in the fourth quarter.

–O-line struggles: LT Ryan Clady is back from a foot injury this year, and he’s the only one on the line who doesn’t have major issues. LG Orlando Franklin is still adjusting to his new position. RT Chris Clark is committing too many penalties. C Manny Ramirez is a big reason that on a third of all carries, the running back is getting hit in the backfield. And All-Pro RG Louis Vasquez is dealing with a bad back. This unit might get shuffled again soon.

–Grounded ground game: The Broncos didn’t exactly want to go back to the Tim Tebow era and lead the league in rushing. But they did need a more balanced attack to keep defenses honest. Montee Ball fumbled away the ball on Denver’s first snap at Seattle and Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson have fared no better. (See: O-line struggles above). It might be time to give undrafted rookie Juwan Thompson a chance.

–Demaryius Thomas: Denver’s star receiver hasn’t been himself, with one TD and five drops. Fans wonder if money is on his mind, if his grandmother’s death this summer is affecting him, if losing his buddy Decker to the Jets is bothering him or whether he’s hurt. He does have a sore left foot, but it hasn’t forced him to miss any practices and he swears a long-term contract isn’t weighing on his mind.

THE UGLY:

–Danny Trevathan’s injury: Denver’s leading tackler last year and also in the playoffs, Trevathan broke his left leg in August. Although Marshall has done a superb job of filling in for him, the Broncos have sorely missed Trevathan on third downs and his absence actually has hurt Denver more than that of Wes Welker’s.

–Where’s Welker: His four-game suspension for amphetamines ended up being two games and he returned to the field last week with a-half dozen catches for 60 yards. But Broncos fans cringe every time he goes over the middle after seeing him get hurt in the preseason with his third concussion in nine months.

–Matt Prater’s suspension: The Pro Bowler had a bad camp with his four-game suspension weighing on him. His replacement, Brandon McManus, has given the Broncos reason to contemplate keeping him once Prater returns. Although he hasn’t been faced with a pressure kick yet, McManus has made all three of his field goal tries and has been superb on kickoffs. Plus, he’s cheap ($420,000) compared to Prater ($3 million base).

GM John Elway slogged through the rubble of that Super Bowl landside and decided he needed a tougher team on both sides of the ball so that Manning wouldn’t have to be such a one-man show.

He added DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Marvin Austin to a defense that also got a boost from the return to health of Miller, Rahim Moore, Chris Harris Jr., and Derek Wolfe. This star-studded defense has the makings of a modern day “Orange Crush.”

The offense is still trying to find its way, but Ball insisted Manning wasn’t going to have to carry the burden by himself.

“It’s still early in a long season and we’re going to get things going,” Ball said. “Some people may disagree, but I believe we are tough. We do fight. I think we proved that (at Seattle).”

___

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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