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Jaguars cut Guy after another poor defensive game

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are willing to try just about anything to fix their woeful defense.

The latest attempt is addition by subtraction.

The Jaguars waived former starting safety Winston Guy on Monday, one day after the third-year pro blew another coverage assignment in a 33-14 loss at San Diego.

Jacksonville promoted safety Craig Loston from the practice squad to take Guy’s place on the 53-man roster.

Guy struggled mightily in a lopsided loss to Indianapolis last week and was benched in favor of Josh Evans. But Guy was back on the field in certain defenses against the Chargers and got burned for a 43-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-10 play with 59 seconds remaining in the first half.

“Those things are hurting us badly,” Bradley said. “Those plays hurt trust. … If you do them so many times within a game, our players understand that things can happen, but that is so big.”

Jacksonville (0-4) was ahead 14-10 at the time, but ended up heading into the locker room down three points and reeling from another defensive lapse.

Things got worse after the break. The Chargers scored on four of five second-half possessions and ended the day by reeling off 23 unanswered points.

San Diego finished with 407 yards, including 377 passing, and converted 56 percent on third down.

“I just think we’re not challenging throws,” Bradley said, adding that his secondary managed one pass breakup in 39 attempts. “That’s not how it should be. You should have more pass breakups. … It needs to be tighter.”

The Jaguars had hoped the defense would improve with a little more offense. Rookie Blake Bortles made his first career start and played well at times. He completed 29 of 37 passes for 253 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.

With Bortles keeping plays alive, Jacksonville managed 319 yards and notched season highs in first downs and third-down conversions — both critical in keeping defenders off the field and rested.

But the defense failed to take advantage.

The unit ranks last in the NFL in total defense and passing defense. Jacksonville has allowed 25 completions of 20 or more yards for a league-high 687 yards and six touchdowns.

The result: the Jaguars are winless through four games for the second consecutive season and have been outscored 152-58.

They hope to turn things around Sunday against Pittsburgh (2-2).

“It is a challenge,” Bradley said. “The players want it badly. I know that we just have strong conviction. I see our team get better and want it and are willing to compete and willing to do the extra things and are trying to figure this out. I’m going with them. I want to be with them on that journey and that’s what we have.

“When I see their spirit, I say, ‘Count me in on this.’ We’ll get this thing right. There’s not a doubt in my mind. For some reason, we are going through some of these struggles right now, but it’s only to make us stronger. Maybe we’ve got to earn the opportunity for victory and we haven’t quite figured that out yet. Let’s figure it out and then let’s go.”

One major problem has been Jacksonville’s inability to put two halves together. The Jaguars were outscored 34-0 in the second half of the season opener at Philadelphia. They were down 21-0 at Washington the following week before they even got a first down. They trailed Indianapolis 30-0 at halftime last week and were outscored 16-0 in the second half at San Diego.

“We all want to win, but I think the dangerous thing for us, especially with a young team, is how do we win?” Bradley said. “The challenge for our guys is to just be your best and get better every week. … But if they start thinking about wins and losses, that’s when it gets all fouled up.

“We’re not light on losing. We’re not playing our best right now so we can’t think about anything else. We haven’t accomplished playing our best yet. Let’s do that then we’ll see what happens.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org 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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