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Huge play by Watt helps Texans over Bills 23-17

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — After watching Houston’s J.J. Watt make yet another highlight-reel play on Sunday against Buffalo, Texans owner Bob McNair had just one question.

“What next,” McNair asked.

Watt’s big play helped the Texans overcome a tough day offensively for a 23-17 win over the Bills.

Houston (3-1) was down by three in the third quarter and Ryan Fitzpatrick had just thrown a second interception when the 6-foot-5, 289-pound Watt returned an interception 80 yards to put the Texans up 14-10.

The defensive end caught a touchdown pass in Week 2, giving him more TDs this year than Arian Foster and Andre Johnson combined.

Fitzpatrick had a tough day against his former team, throwing for 268 yards with two interceptions. He put together one nice drive just before halftime, capped by a 35-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins that cut the lead to 10-7.

Under heavy pressure all afternoon, EJ Manuel finished with 225 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bills (2-2). Buffalo was driving late when Darryl Morris picked him off at the Houston 15 to secure the victory.

Watt finished with five tackles and had a career-high nine hits on Manuel.

“You don’t become Defensive Player of the Year if you don’t have an impact on a lot of football games, and he does,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said of Watt, who won the award in 2012. “Obviously he had a big impact on this game.”

Manuel got the Bills to 20-17 when he hit a wide-open Mike Williams for an 80-yard touchdown with about 9 minutes left.

Randy Bullock had a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter and added field goals of 55 and 50 yards in the fourth for Houston.

Kyle Williams tipped Fitzpatrick’s pass at the line and it was intercepted by Nigel Bradham on the first play of the second half. It didn’t matter much, though, as Watt’s interception came three plays later when he got his giant hands on the pass to tip it to himself. Kareem Jackson blocked Manuel at the start of the return and Watt was gone.

Watt added a bit of swagger when he high-stepped and waved one hand in the air as he crossed the goal line, exciting the home crowd.

Some things to know about Houston’s win over Buffalo:

ARIAN NOT HEALTHY: Foster played after missing last week with a hamstring injury and said he was still struggling with the injury. He was limited to eight carries for six yards but gained 55 yards on seven receptions.

“I wasn’t 100 percent healthy and didn’t feel 100 percent myself,” he said. “I got out on a couple of third-down plays at the end of the game to try and help out, and I’m glad I could make a play when my number was called.”

Foster had run for more than 100 yards in both of the other games he’d played this season.

INJURED DEFENDERS: Bradham and defensive tackle Kyle Williams left with knee injuries and didn’t return. Marrone didn’t have an update on their condition after the game.

FITZPATRICK SPEECH: The Texans were moved be a fiery pregame speech Fitzpatrick delivered to the team in the huddle.

“I felt like it was a good moment for me to kind of let my feelings be felt in terms of what we wanted out of this game and the emotion for me that was in this game,” Fitzpatrick said.

Watt was especially moved by the display of emotion from the normally mild-mannered quarterback.

“It was inspiring, it was motivating and makes you want to go out there and win the game for him,” Watt said. “It was one of the most passionate things I’ve ever seen.”

SLOW PROGRESS: Buffalo receiver Sammy Watkins, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, is coming along slowly in his transition to the NFL.

Watkins had four receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and has 17 receptions for 197 yards and two scores this season.

He was asked if he’s met his own expectations through his first four NFL games.

“Only thing I can keep doing is keep running good routes and blocking,” Watkins said.

JOHNSON COMES UP SHORT: Johnson needed seven receptions on Sunday to tie Marvin Harrison in reaching 950 receptions in the fewest games in NFL history at 158. He came up just short, finishing with six receptions for 71 yards to leave him at 949.

“If it was meant to happen today, it would have happened,” he said. “Just to be mentioned with that group of wide receivers is a humbling experience.”

___

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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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