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Bolts not overconfident facing winless Jaguars

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The oddsmakers say the San Diego Chargers should have an easy afternoon Sunday with the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, who routinely lose games by double digits.

This city’s bandwagon fans think their beloved Bolts will be 6-1 heading into the first meeting of the year with Peyton Manning and the AFC West rival Denver Broncos.

Oh, and the Super Bowl is going to be played just a five-hour drive across the desert in Glendale, Arizona.

Not so fast, say Philip Rivers and the Chargers, who upset the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago and then went cross country to beat the Buffalo Bills.

Overconfident?

“I don’t think so, with the maturity of our team,” Rivers said.

“There is no guarantee to you in this league. Every week is a fight, a battle.”

The Bolts (2-1), fueled by Rivers’ passing accuracy, will face a Jaguars team that is 0-3 and has been outscored 119-44.

“All 32 teams can win any week,” Rivers said. “I wouldn’t be jumping on the bandwagon they are winless. It’s the third week,” Rivers said. “It’s not like it is Week 15 and they are winless. That is a different. We’re going to get their best shot. We know what we were going to get.”

Jacksonville hopes its best shot will finally carry some punch now that rookie Blake Bortles is the starting quarterback.

Asked whether he’s ready for his first start, Bortles said: “I don’t know.

“I’m going to go out there and prepare this week and do everything that I’ve done — go over everything I possibly can to get ready and I’m going to go play football,” he said. “We’re going to play Sunday whether I’m ready or not, so I might as well get as ready as I can possibly be.”

There are high expectations for the Chargers. The Jaguars are young and inexperienced, especially on offense, and in the second year of a complete rebuild. They’ve lost 21 of their past 35 games by double digits, including four in a row dating to last year’s finale.

Here are some things to watch for when the Jaguars visit the Chargers:

BORTLES, PART I: The third pick overall in May’s draft, Bortles showed poise in throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the second half of a 44-17 loss to Indianapolis. He also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

“Learn from it, move on and try not to make that same mistake again,” Bortles said.

The Jags had to speed up their timetable for Bortles after Chad Henne struggled and the lopsided losses continued.

BORTLES, PART II: Cornerback Brandon Flowers says the Chargers need to jump on the Jaguars early.

“It’s like a new season for them with a new quarterback. They’ve got new life. It’s almost like their record is 0-0 right now. They’ve got a new leader,” Flowers said. “We’ve got to make it tough for him. He can throw, he can scramble, he can get out of pressure. He has all the tools. We can’t let him get any rhythm. We’ve got to take it away.”

THE REPLACEMENTS: Chargers running back Danny Woodhead is out for the season with a broken leg. It’ll take a committee of Donald Brown, Branden Oliver and Shaun Draughn to replace him.

“There’s few backs in this league who do what he does on third down, so we’ve got to find ways to fill that void,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich said.

Running back Ryan Mathews remains out with a knee injury and inside linebacker Manti Te’o is out indefinitely with a fractured foot.

TIGHT END TROUBLE: Chargers tight end Antonio Gates could be in for a big day against Jacksonville. Maybe Ladarius Green, too.

The Jaguars have been beaten, burned and bested by just about every tight end they’ve faced the past two seasons. Opposing tight ends have totaled 117 receptions for 1,328 yards and 13 touchdowns in the past 19 games against the Jaguars.

In Jacksonville’s three games this season, opposing tight ends have combined to catch 25 passes for 293 yards and four scores. Next up: Gates, who has 14 catches for 185 yards and three TDs. “He’s very savvy, has a great feel,” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “He doesn’t do things that you would see from normal tight ends that you play. Just unique. … We have to be fully aware of where he’s at.”

WEST COAST WOES: The Jaguars have lost their past six games on the West Coast, including going 0-4 in California. Jacksonville’s last win in the Golden State came Jan. 2, 2005, at Oakland. The Jags are winless in two trips to San Diego, falling 38-13 in 2010 and 34-21 in 2004.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville contributed.

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Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://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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