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Bears look to stay on roll against Packers

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Lance Briggs was not too keen on looking back as the Chicago Bears prepared to face the Green Bay Packers.

That season-ending loss last year?

“That’s overblown,” Briggs said.

What matters to the seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker is that the Bears are going for their third straight win when the Packers visit on Sunday afternoon — not the loss in last year’s playoffs-or-bust finale at Soldier Field.

Aaron Rodgers returned from a broken collarbone in that game and hit a wide-open Randall Cobb for a 48-yard touchdown in the closing minute to clinch the NFC North title.

Safety Chris Conte missed his coverage assignment with the Bears in an all-out blitz, and Chicago missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons.

“To me, this is 2014,” Briggs said. “We just gotta go out and win. Gotta go out and win. That’s more important than anything else — we go out and get that ‘W’ and everybody will be happy.”

That’s exactly what the Bears have been doing the past two weeks.

They shook off a season-opening loss to Buffalo at home with prime-time victories on each coast, beating the San Francisco 49ers and then taking out the New York Jets on Monday night. They’ve done it despite losing several starters on offense and defense to injuries.

The Packers (1-2) can’t seem to get their offense in gear. They rank 28th overall and 27th in the run. The passing game isn’t exactly lighting things up, either, and there was plenty of room to improve overall after last week’s 19-7 loss to Detroit.

The Packers’ 223 yards of total offense were the team’s lowest total since a 184-yard outing on Nov. 9, 2008, in a 28-27 loss to Minnesota. The 51 offensive plays were nowhere near the goal of 75 that coach Mike McCarthy likes to run.

It has added up to a third straight 1-2 start for Green Bay.

“We just have to figure out what’s going to work for this team this year and ride with that,” receiver Jordy Nelson said.

Here are some things to look for in this game.

CATCH THIS: Both teams have concerns at receiver.

Chicago’s Brandon Marshall continues to be limited by an ankle injury. He had just one catch for 6 yards in Monday’s win.

On the plus side for the Bears, Alshon Jeffery is coming off a big game with eight catches for 105 yards after being listed as questionable with a hamstring issue.

For the Packers, Nelson is second in the NFL with 351 yards receiving and tied for third in catches (23). But it would help if they got Cobb going, too. He had three short touchdown catches in the first two games, but his season high through three games is 58 yards.

“Well, I think we’re close,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a couple opportunities, we both haven’t hit on those. But I have a ton of confidence in him, you know we train together in the offseason, you know we have a lot of conversations during the week.”

PEPPERS, ALLEN: The Bears replaced one top pass rusher with another when they released Julius Peppers and signed Jared Allen. While they won’t be on the field at the same time, to some they might be competing against each other.

The Bears decided to go in a different direction after Peppers finished with seven sacks last season, matching the second-lowest total of his career, and parted ways with the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end. Instead, they rebuilt a defense that ranked among the worst in franchise history and brought in Allen, hoping he could spark their pass rush and solidify their run defense.

So far?

Allen has a big zero in the sack column. Peppers had one last week at Detroit.

RUN AWAY: The Bears have a Pro Bowl running back in Matt Forte. Green Bay has last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, Eddie Lacy. Yet, neither team is gaining much on the ground.

Forte had 17 carries for 82 yards in the season-opening loss to Buffalo. Since then, it’s been 12 for 21 yards against San Francisco and 13 for 33 against the Jets.

Lacy is averaging just 3.1 yards on his 36 carries, and without much of a run game, the play action becomes less effective.

Maybe something will give this week, considering neither defense has been good at stopping the run.

PICK IT: Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller is coming through in a big way for the Bears, particularly with Charles Tillman suffering a season-ending arm injury. Fuller picked off Colin Kaepernick twice to help the Bears rally at San Francisco and had his league-leading third interception while forcing two fumbles against the Jets.

MILESTONE VICTORIES: One team will reach a milestone in this one, assuming no tie. The Packers will either join Chicago as the only franchises with 700 victories, or the Bears will pick up win No. 750.

___

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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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