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Bridgewater hurt, but Vikings beat Falcons 41-28

By WTOP Staff

JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater playing with calm and poise beyond his years. Jerick McKinnon running hard between the tackles. Anthony Barr coming up with a big sack in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota’s 41-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was a banner day for Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and the team’s scouting department that drafted all three players last spring.

The rookies shined against the Falcons (2-2), with Bridgewater at the head of the pack after completing 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards in his first career start. McKinnon rushed for 135 yards on 18 carries and Barr had six tackles and a sack that helped the Vikings (2-2) end any hopes the Falcons had of a fourth-quarter comeback.

All three players represent hopes for a promising future for a franchise that is without star running back Adrian Peterson while he addresses child abuse charges. McKinnon and Matt Asiata — 78 yards and three touchdowns — filled in for the former MVP and Bridgewater took over for veteran Matt Cassel, who was lost for the season when he broke his foot last week.

The unflappable first-round draft pick sprained his left ankle late in the game, but that was about the only thing that could sour an otherwise impressive performance.

“I think it sets the bar pretty high,” Bridgewater said.

It’s hard for the Falcons to sink much lower. They lost three offensive linemen — center Joe Hawley (knee), left guard Justin Blalock (back) and right tackle Lamar Holmes (foot) to injuries, forcing them to play tight end Levine Toilolo at tackle in the fourth quarter.

“In six-plus seasons of playing, I have never been in that situation where you have tight ends in there trying to play offensive tackle,” said quarterback Matt Ryan, who completed 25 of 41 passes for 298 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. “It’s part of the deal with a 46-man roster. You only have so many guys suited up. I thought our guys battled. I thought Bear Pascoe and Levine Toilolo did a great job of trying to come in and do the best that they could.”

Antone Smith’s 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter gave the Falcons a 28-27 lead, but the offense sputtered in the fourth quarter while dealing with so many injuries. The porous Falcons defense gave up 558 yards to the Vikings, including 241 on the ground.

“This team has been through a lot of adversity the last couple of weeks and been down on ourselves,” McKinnon said. “We’ve been working really hard to try to get back on track to make things happen. I think we came out today and showed that.”

Here are some things that stood out from the Vikings’ victory over the Falcons.

TEDDY’S HEALTH: Bridgewater had X-rays on his ankle at the stadium that showed no structural damage and was scheduled to have an MRI after he left the stadium. He wasn’t ready to say if he would be able to play on Thursday night against Green Bay. If he can’t go, oft-criticized Christian Ponder would get the start as the only other healthy quarterback on the active roster.

RODDY RETURNS: Falcons WR Roddy White returned after missing last week with an injured hamstring. He had four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, but the chemistry with Ryan appeared to be a little bit off. He was targeted 14 times during the game and dropped at least three passes. “Across the board we had opportunities to make more plays than we did,” Ryan said.

RHODES SHINES: Second-year Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes had perhaps his best game as a pro against Atlanta’s talented group of receivers. Rhodes had five tackles and a career-high four pass breakups. “I would consider it one of my best games but there is even more to come,” Rhodes said. “I am looking forward to getting better and learning from this game in the mistakes that I made and try to get better.”

EMERGENCY TACKLE: At 6-foot-8 and 265 pounds, Toilolo has the size to play tackle. But he never expected to have to do it in the fourth quarter of an NFL game. “I just tried to do the best I could,” Toilolo said. “The guys around me did a great job of making it as easy as it could’ve been for me.”

WRIGHT BREAKS OUT: Vikings WR Jarius Wright had a career day on Sunday, catching eight passes for 132 yards. The shifty Wright excels in the screen game, which made him an ideal part of the game plan in Bridgewater’s debut. The Vikings called several of the plays early to give Bridgewater some short, easy passes to complete and get him into a rhythm. “It took me three years to finally get this game,” Wright said.

___

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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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