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Ryan Tannehill leads the way in London

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS LEHOURITES
AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Keeping Ryan Tannehill guessing may have been just what was needed.

Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin again and again last week declined to say that Tannehill would be the starting quarterback against the Oakland Raiders in London, creating a distracting environment for the entire team.

But Tannehill responded where and when it mattered, leading the Dolphins (2-2) to a 38-14 victory over the Raiders (0-4) on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

“I’ve been more excited for this week and this game as this week went on and with all the distractions,” Tannehill said. “To finally leave the country, have a long flight and come over here, I’ve been more excited for this game than I have been for a long time.”

Tannehill completed 23 of 31 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and Dolphins coach Joe Philbin even praised him in his own mild-mannered way.

“I thought he had good rhythm. He had good tempo. He had good command. He was very decisive out there,” Philbin said. “I thought he made good decisions in the run game whether to give, whether to keep, whether to throw the bubble screens, etc. It looked like he played a very good football game.”

Both the Dolphins and Raiders have a bye next week, and then get back on the field on Oct. 12. The Dolphins host the Green Bay Packers and the Raiders welcome the San Diego Chargers.

Here are some things we learned in London:

RAIDERS INJURIES: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr left the game in the third quarter with ankle and knee injuries, and coach Dennis Allen wasn’t yet sure how long he would be out.

“I know the X-rays on his ankle were negative, but that’s the extent of what I know,” said Allen, who will be under intense pressure when he gets back to Oakland after the Raiders lost their 10th straight game dating to last season.

On defense, the Raiders started without linebackers Nick Roach and Sio Moore. Then early in Sunday’s game, Kaluka Maiava injured a hamstring.

“We got a lot of things that we got to look at and lot of self-evaluation that we got to go through to get this thing turned around,” Allen said.

INTERCEPTIONS: After three games without an interception, the Dolphins had three on Sunday.

Walt Aikens returned one for 43 yards, Brent Grimes had another for 32 yards and Jimmy Wilson a third for 31 yards.

“Sometimes they kind of come in bundles,” Philbin said. “It was good to see different guys get them and make some plays out there.”

RAIDERS DEFENSE: Although the defense was the bright spot in last week’s loss to the New England Patriots, the Raiders couldn’t seem to stop the Dolphins on Sunday in London.

Ryan Tannehill took advantage of a depleted set of linebackers and passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns, while Lamar Miller ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

“They do a good job offensively schematically of making you spread out and having to make tackles in space and we didn’t do enough of that today,” Allen said.

WEMBLEY WAY: The ninth regular-season NFL game at Wembley Stadium packed them in as usual. With an announced attendance of 83,436, the home of England’s national soccer team was full once again for the American game.

And this time, there was even a Brit on the field in Raiders tackle Menelik Watson.

“I try not to be caught in the moment a lot,” said Watson, who this week had said he had always dreamed of playing soccer at the iconic stadium. “It was a little emotional before the game. But as soon as we started and I was coming in the extra tackle package, I didn’t notice the crowd.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.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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